City will want to get a better start to this season, and after spending just under a billion quid you would think the pressure at City this year is serious.
Nuno Espirito Santo has a cauldron of his own issues which need solving at Spurs, but with most writing his side off already, could this be seen as a pressure-free sort of free-hit for the Portuguese manager?
Read on to see how I suspect Sunday turns out!
English Premier League
Sunday 15 August
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
To Win
Tottenham 42/10
Draw 31/10
Manchester City 4/10
Tottenham
Should Tottenham just sell Harry Kane, be done with it and move on? Is any player really that indispensable at any one club? I mean Liverpool and Coutinho are a perfect example, aren’t they?
Liverpool had a brilliant team with Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez, they came agonizingly close to a league win that year and yet sold both players without too much hesitation only to use the money to build a team which won the league. Yes, I know I am surmising, and it isn’t that simple, but it is surely the just of it.
I’m excited to see what Nuno Espirito Santo brings to North London, he’s a talented coach but he is most certainly in the hot seat at Spurs. Going into the job, it almost appeared as though he was Daniel Levy’s umpteenth selection and coupled with all the inherent issues already at Spurs (defensive issues, Kane and whether Dele Alli becomes a London Legend or not) it’s not going to be as straightforward as maybe the Portuguese manager deserves.
I suppose then the cherry on top comes in the form of hosting last season’s champions first up. Many would write this off as a straightforward City win, but I have my doubts. I really think Nuno can extract quality from the players he has at his disposal and with a manager who relishes playing forward football, the likes of Sergio Reguilon become interesting prospects.
City were not as sure in defence against Leicester and if they were still without their Brazilian and English aces come Sunday, I think Spurs might cause a massive upset.
Manchester City
It was clear that the Premier League champions were well short of their usual best and quality at Wembley, but I think they put in a strong performance despite ultimately losing to Leicester.
City started quite slowly before completely controlling the game in the second half. I can’t seem to put my finger on why this is the case, but City don’t usually begin their season in a perfect rhythm.
The biggest takeaway from the Community Shield game, however, was how Ferran Torres was used. This could provide us with a little insight into how Pep Guardiola might move forward should City fail to secure the signature of Kane. Last season Torres played in a false nine position and impressed many with his intelligence and creativity in and around the six-yard area.
City will likely use their Community Shield loss as a motivation for the league. Guardiola will know that teams around him have strengthened and there will be little to no time to ease into things this year.
The quality City possess is undeniable and even without a super starting eleven, they can compete with most teams in the league. There isn’t too much value about a straight City win and to be honest. I’m not as confident about putting too many coins on them this early on.
I couldn’t find that Leicester win last week, but understanding that City are a team who enjoy playing with the ball and acknowledging their class and distinction, isn’t something that will change anytime soon. Expect Pep’s men to dominate the game, but I think Spurs will have opportunities because of the rigid approach City will employ irrespective of who is on the field or the bench.
Prediction: Both Teams To Score Totals: Over 2.5 + Yes (5/4)
At 5/4, I think this is incredible value. The way I see this game unfolding, the wide areas are where both sides could have the most impact but also be the most vulnerable. City obviously have the superior squad, but Spurs might just come into this game with confidence and have a go – in doing that, they will give themselves the best chance of success.
I don’t agree that this is a straightforward game, and I would stay away from having a punt on a winner just yet. 5/4 is brilliant value to get us underway (and hopefully close out any large multiples) and then we can look forward with a Matchday already under our belts.
