Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City Prediction, Best Bets, Odds

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City Predictions

Manchester City May Need Winning Run To Overhaul Arsenal

Unusually, we are now in February and Manchester City are yet to face Arsenal in the Premier League this season. The original meeting between the teams was scheduled for October, but the game had to be postponed in order to make space in the calendar for one of Arsenal’s Europa League group-stage fixtures.

In around two weeks’ time, City and Arsenal will finally lock horns - and all eyes will be on the Emirates Stadium when it happens. The division’s top two are going head-to-head for the Premier League title, with Arsenal seeking to win it for the first time since 2004 and City attempting to claim their fifth crown in the last six years.

The sides did face off last weekend, albeit in a match that was not quite as significant. City ran out 1-0 winners at the Etihad Stadium in an FA Cup fourth-round tie, as Nathan Ake’s goal in the 64th minute settled the encounter in the home team’s favor.

It was an important victory for Pep Guardiola’s side, who will now be looking to go on the type of long winning run that could see City reel in Arsenal at the summit of the standings. 

The Gunners have been superb up to now and a five-point cushion is not insignificant, especially as they also have a game in hand on the champions.

But City’s experience could be a factor the closer we get to the finish line, and Guardiola will want to see his team put as much pressure on a youthful Arsenal side as possible. 

In order to do so, City cannot afford to let the gap separating the sides get any bigger before that crunch clash in a fortnight. Only a win on Sunday will do, particularly as Arsenal will likely have beaten Everton a day earlier.

Tottenham Hotspur Have Ground to Make Up in Top-Four Race

Tottenham Hotspur are also chasing down a target. They began the campaign as potential title contenders themselves, but that is no longer a realistic goal for Antonio Conte’s side after an inconsistent run over recent months.

In truth, even when Spurs were winning games regularly at the start of the season they were not playing particularly well. They have developed an unwelcome habit of conceding the first goal in matches, which by definition makes things more difficult for themselves. 

A 3-1 loss to Arsenal at the beginning of October was their first defeat of 2022/23, but Tottenham bounced back to beat Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton. 

However, in their 11 matches since then, Spurs have lost more matches than they have won. That does not bode well for a team aiming to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League.

The club’s supporters will hope that they have now turned a corner. A 1-0 victory over Fulham in the Premier League kept them within touching distance of Manchester United in fourth before Tottenham beat Preston North End in the FA Cup.

Spurs also strengthened their squad in the January transfer market, adding Pedro Porro and Arnaut Danjuma to the group. However, they have been dealt a blow since the window closed, with Conte facing a few weeks away from the job after being diagnosed with cholecystitis this week.

Goals at Both Ends the Way to Go For Sunday’s Game in London

Conte’s absence is a blow to Spurs. He is not one of those managers who sits quietly on the bench during a game; the Italian is constantly shouting instructions to his players from the side of the pitch.

Moreover, unlike a touchline ban, Conte has not been able to help prepare his squad for this match in recent days. He will have to delegate to his coaching staff, and while they are all more than capable, it is certainly not an ideal situation ahead of a game with a City side that has had more than a week off since their victory over Arsenal.

Tottenham will at least draw confidence from a decent record against City of late, notwithstanding the 4-2 defeat at the Etihad in January. When facing City in north London, Spurs have won three in a row in the Premier League.

We fancy the home team to at least find the back of the net here, but the Conte issue and City’s all-round quality means they deserve to be strong favorites with the best online sportsbooks. 

Yet Tottenham often produce the goods against this opponent, so hedge your bets and put some money on both teams to score in a match that does not end in a draw. That looks like the smartest selection based on the odds available.