After some thrilling results in the first week of the Premier League, defending champions, Manchester City will welcome UEFA Champions League finalist, Tottenham Hotspurs to the Emirate Stadium in the standout fixture of the week. While, the Citizens demolished West Ham 5-0, it took the Lilly Whites a late rally to beat Aston Villa 3-1. Pep Guardiola will however be hoping to make it two wins in a row against Spurs
While Tottenham Hotspur certainly have had their difficulties with Manchester City over the past number of years, they beat Pep Guardiola’s side perhaps where it counted the most last season: over two legs in the quarterfinals of the Champions League and City have definitely not forgotten this.
Spurs may in theory have closed the gap between themselves and the defending champions, but City is still far and away the best club in England, and quite possibly all of Europe. Spurs’ first trip to the Etihad this weekend will be no walk in the park.
Tottenham ended City’s European ambitions last season and they will be looking to dent Guardiola’s side’s hopes of winning a third successive Premier League title when they meet at the Etihad Stadium today.
A rare setback in a near impeccable season from City came in April with a dramatic exit to Spurs in the Champions League quarter-final.
City won the second-leg 4-3 but went out on away goals after a late goal from Raheem Sterling, which would have sent City through, was dramatically ruled out for offside following a VAR video review.
Just three days later the pair met again in the league as Guardiola’s side kept their title run on track with a 1-0 victory.
Both teams began their Premier League campaigns in winning fashion with City sweeping aside West Ham United with a 5-0 win at London Stadium while Spurs struggled before emerging as 3-1 victors at home to promoted Aston Villa.
City will be relieved that Spurs’ South Korean winger Son Heung-min will miss the game while he serves a three-game suspension.
Son scored the only goal of the Champions League first leg and struck twice in the second-leg but Harry Kane, who missed the last two meetings, has begun the season in form with a double against Villa.
The main question is whether Pochettino brings Christian Eriksen into the fold from the beginning or not. The midfield diamond had its problems against Aston Villa, and it’s not unreasonable to expect the same sort of growing pains against City. Eriksen is expected to provide the much-needed creativity in the absence of Dele Alli.
Aston Villa Soccer News, Schedule, Roster, Stats
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Liverpool will need to recover quickly from their penalty shootout win over Chelsea in the Super Cup in Istanbul on Wednesday as they face a trip to Southampton today.
Juergen Klopp’s side began the season well with a 4-1 win over Norwich City but are without their first choice keeper Alisson Becker who picked up a calf injury in that opener.
Frank Lampard’s Chelsea suffered a 4-0 loss at Manchester United in their first outing but showed plenty of promise in Istanbul and have an extra day to recover before taking on Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Manchester United have a tricky trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, returning to the venue where they were beaten 2-1 in the FA Cup quarter-final in March.
Arsenal will look to follow-up their win at Newcastle United with another three points against Sean Dyche’s Burnley at the Emirates today.
The Gunners rested a number of new signings at St James’ Park but could unleash their new strike trio of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and new arrival, winger, Nicolas Pepe.
