Tottenham Hotspur will look to inflict further damage to Manchester City’s hopes of adding to their silverware this season when they face the Citizens at the Etihad on Saturday.
The two sides met on Wednesday in a Champions League thriller, where Fernando Llorente’s late second-half goal knocked the defending champions out of the coveted tournament.
We expect a few changes to the line up as Pochettino figures out ways to keep his players fit ahead of a rigorous and crucial season run-in.
Tottenham Hotspur team news
Harry Kane will continue his spell on the sidelines alongside Serge Aurier. Harry Winks is also out, having picked a fresh groin injury while Moussa Sissoko is a doubt. Eric Dier and Erik Lamela, on the other hand, will both face late assessments.
Predicted Tottenham Hotspur lineup vs Manchester City
Defence
After a hard-fought contest in midweek, chances are that Mauricio Pochettino will rest one of his key defenders on Saturday. And we expect Toby Alderweireld to settle for the bench in this one. The Belgian international could make way for the young Juan Foyth.
Foyth will be partnered by Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen at the heart of Spurs’ three-man backline. The youngster has impressed in his earlier outings this season and will be keen to produce yet another promising display against Manchester City this weekend.
Elsewhere, Pochettino could rotate his wing-backs, with Kyle Walker-Peters replacing Kieran Tripper in the right wing-back position while Ben Davies is likely to come in for Danny Rose on the opposite flank.
Hugo Lloris, however, will retain his place between the sticks as the Frenchman searches for his 12th clean sheet of the campaign.
Midfield
With Winks ruled out and Sissoko and Dier suffering from lack of match fitness, Pochettino could opt for Victor Wanyama once again in central midfield. The former Southampton star will be tasked with the responsibility of providing the defensive cover for the backline and disrupting Man City’s rhythm in midfield.
Wanyama could be partnered by the industrious figure of Christian Eriksen in midfield. The Dane will act as the ball-carrier for the visitors and his ability to carve out openings in the final third could be crucial as Tottenham look to breach the increasingly brittle Manchester City defence this weekend.
Attack
Llorente’s goal in midweek earned Tottenham a place in the semi-finals in the UEFA Champions League and the Spaniard could be rewarded with a start.
Llorente could be partnered by the offensive duo of Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura, both of who will operate just behind the main striker.
