Five reasons why Tottenham can beat Manchester City | OneFootball

Manchester City head to north London for their penultimate fixture in the Premier League title race to face Tottenham as they look to go top.

The timing of this fixture could not have come at a worse time for City, who need to win to ensure they leapfrog Arsenal into first going into the final round of fixtures as the title race goes down to the wire.

Pep Guardiola’s side are not the only ones with things to fight for, with victory for Ange Postecoglou’s men needing a win to ensure their faint hopes of Champions League football also go to the final day.

Here are five reasons why Spurs can defeat City…

City have yet to win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham has not been a happy hunting ground of late for Manchester City, with Guardiola’s side yet to win a Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Since returning to White Hart Lane in early 2019, and going through a plethora of managers along the way, Spurs always seem to get the better of Guardiola’s all-conquering City side. Although City did pick up their first win against Ange Postecoglou’s side in the Third Round of the FA Cup, they have lost five on the bounce in north London in the Premier League, whilst not managing a single goal.

Postecoglou’s Champions League rallying cry

Speaking ahead of the match, Postecoglou admitted the difficulty of facing the most in form side so late in the season: “Any time you’re going to play Man City, particularly at the end of a season when they always seem to be at their best, it’s a hell of a challenge,” he said. However, despite their recent struggles and poor form in 2024, the Australian’s positive mindset could be key to helping Spurs combat City, with the 58-year-old’s desire to beat the best in the business. “We’ve got an opportunity to measure ourselves against the best. A team that has consistently strived for honours. We want to emulate them one day and the best way to do that is to test yourself against them.”

Pep’s mind games might come back to bite him

Pep Guardiola is one of the masters when it comes to mind games. The Catalan has consistently brushed aside focus from his side and put increased emphasis on City’s title rivals. But when speaking to the media ahead of this match, Guardiola appeared to apply the pressure on his side to win: “If we don’t win we aren’t going to win the Premier League, so this is what we have to do.” Although Pep’s previous comments have not affected his players mentality thus far, it seems a bit odd for him to say such a thing so close to the finish given the form his side are in. Is this when the mind games finally back fire?

Son Heung-min loves scoring against City

Stop him at your peril. Since signing for Tottenham back in the summer of 2015, Son has scored eight times in all competitions against City, assisting a further four times. Although only three of those goals have come at home, Guardiola’s side cannot afford to let the South Korean loose at their defence if they want to have a chance of returning to Manchester with all three points. Although the goals have dried up since the turn of the year, Son has still managed 17 goals and nine assists in the Premier League this season, and remains a threat regardless.

Champions League qualification will be motivation for Spurs

Given how poor Spurs have been performing in recent weeks, racking up four consecutive league defeats for the first time since 2004, it is a surprise to see them still in with a chance of Champions League qualification. It might be the slimmest of chances, with rivals Aston Villa currently fourth and a victory from guaranteeing the last UCL spot. However, if Villa slip and Spurs win, the gap between the two sides will be just one point going into the final day. But if Villa win, Postecoglou’s men need to win to stave off the chasing pack of Newcastle, Manchester United and Chelsea and retain fifth place.