Tottenham Hotspur host Premier League champions Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for an EFL Cup fourth-round clash on Wednesday night.
Ange Postecoglou made a bold claim about winning titles in his second season, so the League Cup will undoubtedly be a priority for the Australian tactician this season.
Tottenham would love nothing more than to end their miserable 16-year trophy drought, and getting past the eight-time winners will be a monumental boost for their lofty ambitions.
However, they’ll have to shake off last weekend’s disappointing 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace while their upcoming opponents strive to build on a narrow 1-0 win over relegation contenders Southampton.
Man City have emerged victorious by a 1-0 scoreline in each of the last two meetings between these sides in a cup competitions.
Seatsnet.com has made Manchester City tickets readily available at unbeatable prices for fans looking to see if the Cityzens can make it three in a row.
Match Preview
After claiming back-to-back wins in North London over West Ham United and AZ Alkmaar, Tottenham’s shaky form resurfaced on Sunday, as Ange Postecoglou’s squad fell to a 1-0 defeat against Palace at Selhurst Park.
The Lilywhites’ sloppy play at the back handed Jean-Philippe Mateta his third goal of the season, and it was enough for the Eagles to secure their first win of the season.
Tottenham entered the game as overwhelming favourites, but showed little in attack and struggled to break down a resilient Palace side.
Last season’s fifth-place finish and Europa League qualification gave Spurs fans hope of a Champions League push in 2024/25.
However, the North Londoners currently sit eighth in the Premier League table.
Postecoglou may see the Carabao Cup as Tottenham’s best shot at ending their trophy drought, stretching back to 2008 when they beat Chelsea to win the EFL Cup.
However, they must get past City to realise those ambitions, which is a monumental task, considering the Cityzens have barely put a foot wrong this season.
Tottenham narrowly avoided an early League Cup exit in the third round.
They needed late heroics from Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson to spare the blushes of the heavily rotated XI and overcome Championship side Coventry City.
However, if Postecoglou’s side can’t shake off their inconsistency, their trophy ambitions might be short-lived on Wednesday.
Man City extended their perfect October run with a narrow 1-0 victory over Southampton at the Etihad Stadium, marking their fifth consecutive win across the Premier League and Champions League.
Goal machine Erling Braut Haaland found the back of the net early in the game, notching his 11th league goal in just his ninth appearance this season.
The early goal seemed to set the pace for a comfortable afternoon for the reigning champions, but they failed to breach Southampton’s goal a second time and ultimately settled for a 1-0 win.
Following a pair of back-to-back clean-sheet wins at home, Pep Guardiola’s side are now braced for a challenging four-game away schedule over the next 11 days.
With November’s international break on the horizon, Man City’s squad depth will be thoroughly tested as they aim to maintain momentum in both domestic and European competitions.
Wednesday’s visitors to North London have loosened their chokehold on this competition in recent times, but they’re looking to regain ground in a tournament they once dominated.
After a stretch of EFL Cup success in the late 2010s and early 2020s, the Citizens have recently faltered, exiting the competition at the quarter-final stage or earlier in two of the last three seasons.
Man City have already surpassed last year’s third-round elimination to Newcastle United by squeezing past second-tier side Watford last month with a 2-1 victory.
First-half goals from Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes rendered Tom Ince’s late strike a mere consolation for the Hornets as Man City set up Wednesday’s date with Spurs.
Key Stats
Man City head back to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this week, a venue that hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for them in recent years.
Despite dominating English football, Man City have stumbled more times than they’d like in North London, losing their first five games at Tottenham’s new ground without scoring a single goal.
However, Guardiola’s side finally cracked the code last season, winning twice away to Spurs – including in the FA Cup.
Their recent encounters have often carried high stakes, with the 2020/21 EFL Cup final still fresh in the fans’ minds.
Man City narrowly clinched a 1-0 win in that match, thanks to an Aymeric Laporte header, though his appearance drew controversy as many felt he should have been sent off earlier.
Both sides head into this game in contrasting form. Man City are overwhelming favourites, and Spurs must up the ante if they want to progress to the next round against all odds.
Man City will likely field a weakened line-up in this game, which should give Spurs the edge.
With injuries to a number of key players including Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Rodri, and Kevin de Bruyne, Guardiola has hinted he may field a weakened squad.
The Spanish tactician has decided to prioritise fitness over victory, suggesting that some of his players could use a break as the fixture congestion takes its toll.
That could play into Spurs’ hands, although they’ll still need to bring their A-game to get the better of the Cityzens.
Team News
Tottenham will be without club captain and talisman Son Heung-min for their upcoming matches as he continues to recover from a thigh injury that saw him miss recent games against AZ and Palace.
In his absence, the spotlight has shifted to academy graduate Mikey Moore. At just 17, Moore made his Premier League debut at Selhurst Park on Sunday and could get more minutes on Wednesday.
The injury list doesn’t stop there for Tottenham. Spence, who scored in the third-round win over Coventry last month, has been ruled out until late November due to a groin strain.
Meanwhile, Guardiola is expected to field a youthful Man City squad for Wednesday’s clash, as he views the match as the least critical of their upcoming fixtures.
Guardiola has hinted at a significant line-up shake-up, with several academy players potentially stepping in.
16-year-old Kaden Braithwaite and Nico O’Reilly both saw minutes in Man City’s previous cup clash against Watford, and they’re among the young talents eyeing a spot in the starting XI.
However, Guardiola’s options are limited, with key players De Bruyne and Kyle Walker (thigh) both out indefinitely.
Additionally, Man City will be without Oscar Bobb until early next year and have lost Rodri for the season due to a severe cruciate ligament injury.
Tottenham Hotspur Potential Starting Line-up:
(4-3-3): Fraser Forster; Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie; Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison; Timo Werner, Brennan Johnson, Richarlison.
Manchester City Potential Starting Line-up:
(4-1-4-1): Stefan Ortega; Rico Lewis, John Stones, Kaden Braithwaite, Nathan Ake; Nico O’Reilly; Savio, James McAtee, Ilkay Gundogan, Matheus Nunes; Phil Foden.
