Prediction: Manchester City vs Tottenham

Verdict: Manchester City win and under 4.5 goals

Best Odds: 5/6

Bookmaker: Bet365

Meeting for the third time in the space of a week, Manchester City will be looking to gain some much-needed revenge when the host Tottenham on Saturday lunchtime.

Manchester City

Starting with the hosts, after suffering some dramatic last-gasp heartbreak in midweek, Pep Guardiola will be demanding an immediate response from his side on Saturday. Despite picking up a 4-3 win at the Etihad on Wednesday, the Sky Blues are out of the Champions League and their sights are now firmly set on reclaiming their Premier League crown. Sat two points adrift of Liverpool and with the chance to briefly leapfrog Jurgen Klopp’s men, the former Barcelona boss has seen his side continue to impress on home soil this season. Now winning their last 13 matches at the Etihad across all competitions, City have scored two or more goals in each of those victories and still hold the best-attacking record in any of Europe’s top-tiers. One man to watch for Saturday’s hosts will be the red-hot Raheem Sterling. Bagging a brace against Spurs in midweek, the 24-year-old has scored four in his last two outings and has recorded 17 Premier League strikes this campaign.

Team News

Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho could be fit to start, having played as a substitute against Spurs in midweek on his return from a muscular problem.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has been out with a hamstring injury, will be assessed.

Tottenham

As for the visitors, while Tottenham may have suffered a 4-3 loss at the Etihad on Wednesday, Spurs did manage to book their spot in the semi-final of this year’s Champions League. Even with attacking talisman Harry Kane sidelined with an ankle injury, the mood in Mauricio Pochettino’s camp will certainly be on a high. Desperate to secure a top four finish, the Whites currently hold just a one-point buffer over both Arsenal and Chelsea and their Argentinian coach will know that his side must improve on their performances outside of North London. Along with shipping four at the Etihad on Wednesday, Tottenham have lost their last three matches on the road across all competitions and have now remarkably lost their last four Premier League appearances outside of the capital. If Pochettino’s side are to shore up their top four ambitions then the visitors will be looking for the inform Heung-Min Son to carry on his very eye-catching record against Manchester City. The South Korean forward scored three goals over his two Champions League appearances against the defending champions, including a brace in midweek.

Team News

Tottenham look likely to be without Moussa Sissoko, who was substituted on Wednesday because of a groin problem.

Eric Dier will return to training on Friday after a hip injury and could be involved this weekend.

Serge Aurier, Harry Winks and Harry Kane remain out.

Key Factors to Consider

• Manchester City are vying to equal their club record of four consecutive top-flight wins against Spurs.
• Tottenham have lost seven of their past nine visits to the Etihad Stadium in all competitions, conceding 27 goals.
• Their only victory in that period came in the league in February 2016.
• Pep Guardiola’s side have won 24 of their past 26 league and cup matches, including the penalty shootout victory in the Carabao Cup final.
• Spurs are on a run of four Premier League away defeats in a row, conceding two goals each time. They haven’t fared worse since a six-match losing streak on the road between March and May 2004
•  They have lost seven of their past eight away fixtures in all competitions, with the exception being a 1-0 victory at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on 5 March.

Conclusion

After crashing out of the Champions League in midweek, Manchester City will be desperate to gain some revenge. Still picking up a 4-3 win over Spurs and holding a very commanding record against Saturday’s visitors, particularly in the top-flight, we’re backing Pep Guardiola’s side to come away with the victory this weekend in an encounter that might not be as lively as the one on Wednesday night.

Verdict: Manchester City win and both teams to score

Best Odds: 5/6

Bookmaker: Bet365