Defending Premier League champions Manchester City take on Tottenham on 8/17/19.
Manchester City has won the Premier League thrice in the last six years, including the last two terms. Their recent rise to the top began when former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola replaced Manuel Pellegrini in 2016. In 2017-18, Manchester City won the Premier League title by breaking numerous club and English records including the highest points total in English Premier League history. During the last term, Guardiola guided the team to their second straight Premier League and EFL Cup titles. They also proceeded to win the FA Cup to complete an unprecedented treble of English men’s football.
These are the players on Manchester City’s most recent roster dated July 16, 2019:
1 GK Claudio Bravo, 2 DF Kyle Walker, 3 DF Danilo, 5 DF John Stones, 7 FW Raheem Sterling, 8 Ilkay Gundogan, 9 FW Gabriel Jesus, 10 FW Sergio Aguero, 11 MF Oleksandr Zinchenko, 12 DF Angelino, 14 DF Aymeric Laporte, 15 DF Eliaquim Mangala, 16 MF Rodri, 17 MF Kevin De Bruyne, 19 MF Leroy Sane, 20 MF Bernardo Silva, 21 MF David Silva, 22 DF Benjamin Mendy, 25 MF Fernandinho, 25 MF Riyad Mahrez, 30 DF Nicolas Otamendi, 31 GK Ederson, 32 GK Daniel Grimshaw, 47 Phil Foden
Tottenham has won a major title in each of the last six decades, a feat only achieved by Manchester United. In total, the Spurs have won two Premier League titles, four League Cups and seven FA Community Shields, one European Cup Winners Cup title and two UEFA Cups. Tottenham beat Manchester City and Ajax in the 2018-19 to reach their first-ever UEFA Champions League final, becoming the third team from London to do so. However, they lost to Liverpool 0-2 in the Final.
Here is the roster of Tottenham as of July 16, 2019:
1 GK Hugo Lloris (captain), 3 DF Danny Rose, 4 DF Toby Alderweireld, 5 DF Jan Verthongen, 6 DF Davinson Sanchez, 7 FW Song Heung-Min, 8 MF Harry Winks, 10 FW Harry Kane (vice-captain), 11 MF Erik Lamela, 12 MF Victor Wanyama, 14 FW Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, 15 MF Eric Dier, 16 DF Kyle Walker-Peters, 17 MF Moussa Sissoko, 20 MF Dele Alli, 21 DF Juan Foyth, 22 GK Paulo Gazzaniga, 23 MF Christian Eriksen, 24 DF Serge Aurier, 25 MF Josh Onomah, 27 MF Lucas Moura, 28 MF Tanguy Ndombele, 33 DF Ben Davies, 28 DF Cameron Carter- Vickers
These teams have played each other a total of 159 times in their history. The City has won 63 times while Tottenham has 61 wins and these teams have drawn 35. Manchester City has won five out of their last six meetings against Tottenham including two out of their last three meetings last April. Manchester City has won five out of its last six games dating back to May 12, 2019. Meanwhile, Tottenham has won twice in their last five games with two losses and one draw dating back to May 9, 2019.
Manchester City is is the soccer betting favorites to win this match. They are coming off back to back Premier League titles. But in 2019, they barely got past Liverpool whose 97 points would have been good enough to win any other Premier League season. But this isn’t just any other team. This is one that is guided by Pep Guardiola, considered one of the best managers in the world. Liverpool looked poised to jump on Manchester City several times during the last term but each time they did, Guardiola always came up with the antidote. I know they are far from being the perfect team and winning machine but Guardiola never rests on his laurels.
The signing of Rodri Makes Manchester City even more dangerous this term. Sergio Aguero has been one of the most prolific scorers in the Premier League for years but will be on the wrong end of 30 very soon. Gabriel Jesus has been touted as Aguero’s successor but for sure, it won’t come this year. Aguero is still very much on top of his game.
Mauricio Pochettino is entering his sixth season as Tottenham’s boss. Pochettino has led the Spurs to four straight top-four finishes in the Premier League. Last season’s run to the Champions League Final was his best handiwork so far and he achieved it with no new major signings and despite a crippling injury list brought about by the absences from the World Cup.
The Spurs signed Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon on a club-record signing fee. But with key players Toby Alderwerield and Danny Rose possibly following Kieran Trippier out of Tottenham, this team needs more signings to keep their depth and be able to compete with the elite teams.
Manchester City is coming off an unprecedented treble and will carry the momentum of that success this coming term. I think the champions are going to take this match and beat Tottenham. Prediction: Manchester City
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