Spurs vs Man City

Tom Allen was supremely confident that Harry Redknapp’s men would
get all 3pts and a 2-1 victory did just that. With the football season
coming to a close, great tips like this will be missed in the summer.

Manchester United seemingly home and hosed in the title race, a point against Arsenal on Saturday will do it, much attention will now be focused on the scrap for survival. Realistically it looks like one from Sunderland, Newcastle or Hull but none of their respective matches this weekend appeals from a betting point of view and I think the clash at White Hart Lane is the place to go for some value.

With seventh place in the English top flight good enough for a place in the Europa League next season Spurs‘ clash with Man City on Saturday still has plenty riding on the outcome. Qualification for the Champions League it may not be, but it would still be a success nonetheless for either given their campaigns and for Spurs, in particular, considering their wretched start to the season.

With the chance to put a serious dent in rivals United’s Premier League ambitions last Sunday Mark Hughes’ side failed to turn up at Old Trafford and were, in truth, bordering on awful. That has been the case far too often for the Welshman’s liking, I’m sure, this season and I predict more of the same in the capital. City’s away record, just two wins in 18 matches, is shocking and frequently their foreign ‘stars’ have failed to live up to expectations away from Eastlands.

With Robinho absent on Saturday City actually might be more productive, they often over rely on the Brazilian, but he is a match-winner nonetheless and at nearly even money Spurs look a decent price to notch another three points. They’ve impressed since the turn of the year, a goalless draw at Everton last time out was the only occasion they had failed to score in 11 games, and one strike could well be enough to sink the Citizens.

Spurs have not been known for their defensive solidity in recent seasons but a top flight record of just nine goals conceded on home soil speaks for itself and now that Harry Redknapp has Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane back in tandem they could well grab seventh place. A trip to Liverpool awaits on the final day but victory on Saturday would give them every chance of sneaking in front of Fulham and they’ve a terrific record against City down the years.

A win at the Lane would be Tottenham’s fifth consecutive success over Saturday’s opponents on home soil in the top flight and Spurs are also seeking half a dozen league wins in a row in front of their own fans. Whether Ledley King plays following his midweek antics remains to be seen but in Jonathan Woodgate and the resurgent Heurelho Gomes they possess enough about them to keep City at bay and are always likely to find one going forward.

On a weekend of plenty of non-events as the season winds down this looks like being more than competitive enough to ensure we get a decent game and a home win appears very much on the cards. Harry will demand one, and I think he’ll get it.