Live – Man City v Tottenham

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1943: Here come the players at Eastlands, the ground filling up in typical leave-it-to-the-last-minute styleee… hope the pints and pies are worth it, folks.

1941: MAN CITY v TOTTENHAM (1945)
Chief football writer Phil McNulty reports: “Tottenham confirmed their place in the Champions League with victory at Eastlands near the end of last season – now the tables are turned as three points tonight will see Manchester City secure a slot in next year’s competition. Spurs have endured such a decline that their main priority now is battling with Liverpool for fifth place while City will want to get this piece of pressing business done and dusted before Saturday’s FA Cup Final against Stoke City at Wembley.”

1938: Better news for Man City, though… Peter Crouch has scored only four goals in 33 Premier League matches – 1734 minutes of football – since he scored the winning goal for Spurs last season at City, on 5 May 2010. Blimey.

ShaunForster on Twitter: “Since when were Spurs that good that they can pick and choose whether or not they want European football? Excuses.”
1935: No Gareth Bale either for Tottenham tonight, of course, following the ankle injury he sustained against Blackpool on Saturday. Spurs fans looking for a fillip to that news, though, will like this nugget from Infostrada Sports … the Londoners have won 1.53 points per match with him playing in 30 Premier League matches this season, but have won 2.0 points/match in five matches without him.
1932: MAN CITY v TOTTENHAM (1945)
Chief football writer Phil McNulty reports: “One in and one out creating a stir at Eastlands. Carlos Tevez is on the bench and hoping for the chance to show Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini he has recovered sufficiently from the hamstring injury he suffered at Liverpool to stake his claim for Saturday’s FA Cup Final against Stoke City at Wembley. And there is no Heurelho Gomes in the Tottenham team after his error at Chelsea and the rush of blood that gave Blackpool a second penalty at White Hart Lane on Saturday. Spurs say this is because of a back injury sustained in training.”

1930: Our man at Eastlands is Phil McNulty…

Stribz in Brum via text: “Why is nobody talking about Liverpool pipping both these guys (Harry and Mancini) to fourth spot?”
Ignoring the fact I mentioned it at 1902 mate, I’d say it’s because no matter how good their form is they’ve left it a little too late for most people’s money.

SamReadbsr on Twitter: “Very ‘attacking’ team from City compared to what we’re used to seeing…. expect a very open game…”

1927: As for Harry Redknapp – well the Spurs boss is equally relaxed, mostly it seems because he wouldn’t be all too devastated if his team were to miss out on European football altogether next season. “Teams who get into the Europa League want to get out of it,” he Redknapp this week. “Half of them put reserve teams out in the early stages and it’s difficult to play every Thursday and Sunday. It disrupts things. We didn’t have European football last year and we finished fourth. That was a big advantage to us. If there are teams around you in the Europa League, you want to keep them in it. If we were in it next year, and you were one of the other clubs around us, you’d want us to stay in that competition because it takes its toll. I wanted Man City to stay in it this year because they were playing every Thursday night, slipping off to Azerbaijan to play a team out there. It’s unreal, but that’s how that competition is.”

1923: You might think Roberto Mancini is a nervy man ahead of tonight’s match following his side’s defeat at Everton on Saturday. Not a word of it. “I don’t think we have a problem for fourth spot,” said the City manager. “We still have three games left and we only need three points. Tottenham are still a very good team. But they have played Champions League and when you do that the season is very difficult. That is what we are trying to achieve and if we beat Tottenham, it is finished.”

Calum_Elder on Twitter: “Why do Spurs not want Europa League? Keeps up their Euro co-efficient, so higher seedings if they qualify for Champs League.”

1920: MAN CITY v TOTTENHAM (1945)
Man City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Zabaleta, Milner, De Jong, Toure Yaya, Adam Johnson, Silva, Dzeko. Subs: Given, Wright-Phillips, Kolarov, Vieira, Tevez, Boyata, Balotelli.
Tottenham: Cudicini, Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Rose, Lennon, Palacios, Sandro, Modric, Van der Vaart, Crouch. Subs: Pletikosa, Kaboul, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe, Bassong, Kranjcar, Pienaar.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

TrueBlue1979 on Twitter: “I can see City doing this the City way… last day of the season win at Bolton keeping City fans on the edge of their seats!!”
1917: Full line-ups to follow as soon as I get them, people, but I can tell you that Mario Balotelli will start alongside Carlos Tevez on the bench, no doubt exhausted by his recent anti-bullying antics in Manchester. That man is a headline writer to end all headline writers isn’t he?
pompeyboyz on Twitter: “I think Spurs will be more up for this as defeat tonight could end their season. Man City might have one eye on the cup final.”

Pete, Liverpool via text: “Spurs are without Gomes? They might have a chance then!”

1913: I’m Sam Lyon – and my money is firmly in my pocket. For a change. Ahem. You lot, you don’t have the privilege of sitting on the fence. If you want your voice heard, you’ve got to have an opinion right? Well let me know yours by Tweeting the commentary via the hashtag #BBCFootball, Tweet me @sampatricklyon or text me via 81111 (UK). The best/most outlandish/funniest opinion wins.*
No prizes will be offered for having an opinion. Sorry.
1909: So don’t, whatever you do, count your chickens just yet – a Tottenham win tonight and the race for fourth might just be right back in the mixer. And with the small matter of an FA Cup Final looming large on the horizon, what on the face of it looks like being a truly momentous week for the Eastlanders might yet take a turn for the decidedly sour if they’re not careful. So… where’s your money?

1907: TEAM NEWS SNAP
Carlos Tevez starts on the bench for Man City after a hamstring injury. Tottenham are without keeper Heurelho Gomes (back injury).

1906: …BUT… stranger things happen at sea, as they say, right? And Tottenham’s superb record against Man City – they have 19 wins to City’s three in their Premier League head-to-head – suggests not everything will necessarily be plain sailing for the boys in blue tonight.

1905: But the game’s not played on paper now is it? I mean, yes, City’s home form this season is excellent, unbeaten – as they are – in their last eight at Eastlands; yes, Tottenham need something like divine intervention if they are to sneak into the Champions League for a second season running; yes, Tottenham have earned just one win since their 1-0 defeat of AC Milan at the San Siro in February; and yes, City’s defensive record suggests they should be more than comfortable against Spurs’ misfiring strikers this evening. BUT…
1902: Yep, two teams seemingly heading in different directions as we reach the season’s end. Man City, despite Saturday’s 2-1 reverse at Everton, can guarantee at least fourth in the table with victory tonight – a result that would even put resurgent Liverpool’s slim Champions League hopes to bed. Tottenham, on the other hand, look every inch a club whose remarkable first season in Europe’s top cup competition has rather taken it’s toll of late, with even a top-six finish not yet safe for them. On paper, it’s a home win all night long.

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Live – Man City v Tottenham