Manchester City – Tottenham Preview: Hosts aiming for first league win over Spurs since 2008 to confirm Champions League qualification

Tottenham Manager Harry Redknapp and Manchester City Manager Roberto Mancini,EPL (Getty Images)

Related Links

Teams

Manager Roberto Mancini has few injury problems but is likely to have one eye on Saturday’s FA Cup final when it comes to selecting his team, so he could make changes from the side that lost to Everton at the weekend.

Captain Carlos Tevez has reportedly been informed he must prove his fitness if he is to feature at Wembley and the Italian has admitted the Argentine has a 50 per cent chance, meaning he may play some part on Tuesday.

Gareth Bale is expected to miss Spurs’ last three games after being stretchered off in the 1-1 draw with Blackpool at White Hart Lane.

Jermain Defoe may keep his place after hitting a late equaliser against the Tangerines on Saturday but Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Tom Huddlestone are both expected to miss out again due to injury.

• A win for Manchester City will not only confirm a top four finish, it will also see them move just two points behind Arsenal with two games left to play.

• Roberto Mancini’s men will be confident of victory having lost just twice at home in the league all season. The two defeats came last year to Everton in December and Arsenal back in October.

• Joe Hart (pictured right) is the only player to feature in every Premier League game for Manchester City this season.

• Striker Carlos Tevez has not played since April 11 but has already scored more league goals (19) than Tottenham strikers Jermain Defoe (4), Peter Crouch (4) and Roman Pavlyuchenko (8) combined (16).

• The two sides’ previous fixture was on the opening day of the season, when they shared a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane. That game saw Yaya Toure, David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov make their City debuts and the point halted a run of six straight defeats at White Hart Lane.

• However, Tottenham have a good away record this season, with six wins. Only Arsenal, Chelsea & Manchester City have won more games on their travels this term.

• Yet Harry Redknapp’s men have become draw specialists in recent weeks. Of their last eight league matches, they have drawn six.

• Indeed Spurs have not tasted victory on their travels in the league for almost three months. Their last away win came on February 12 when they beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light.

• Of course Tottenham have good memories of Eastlands. On their last visit, almost exactly a year ago, a single goal by Peter Crouch was enough for victory and to confirm the Londoners’ place in the Champions League, at the expense of Mancini’s men.

• The visitors have not lost to Manchester City in their last five fixtures. Their last defeat at Eastlands in the league came on March 16, 2008 when goals by Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha secured victory after Robbie Keane had opened the scoring.