English Premier
2008-11-09 - Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Manchester City
City have looked really frail at the back in recent weeks, something that I would not usually associate with a side managed by Mark Hughes. All the excitement over the money expected to be pumped into the side has turned to a winter of troubles at the moment and their inconsistency has seen them record a 4-1-6 record with 23 goals scored and 18 conceded.
City are only 2 points better off than the teams in the relegation zone and only 4 points further than their opponents. At the City of Manchester, City are 3-0-2 this season with 15 goals scored and 6 conceded. This makes them the highest scorers at home in the league.
City have been inconsistent in recent weeks but will take heart from their 3-2 UEFA Cup win last Thursday. They have won 4 of their last 5 games at home in all competitions but they have conceded 6 goals in those games. A bigger concern for Mark Hughes is his side have conceded 2 goals in each of their last 3 games in all competitions.
Vincent Kompany is out through suspension but Benjani is looking for his first start of the campaign.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham have been revived under the tutorship of Harry Redknapp but still find themselves bottom of the pile. However they have closed the gap on the teams above them, and a win will take them back out of the relegation zone. They have a 2-3-6 record with 13 goals scored and 17 conceded which gives them the 9th best defensive record in the league. Away from home they are 0-2-3 with 7 goals scored and 11 conceded.
Tottenham have won 3 of their last 4 games since Redknapp took over the reigns, and the other was a 4-4 draw at local rivals Arsenal. They have managed to tighten things somewhat at the back with 2 clean sheets in those 4 games and have scored at least 2 goals per game. Spurs had lost 3 of their last 4 away games before the 4-4 draw last week at Arsenal.
Ledley King is likely to come back into the side, but Jermaine Jenas is struggling to be fit. Dos Santos is out with an injury.
Head to Head
City won this corresponding fixture last season after going 11 straight matches without a win against Spurs. Tottenham had won 8 games in a row against the City and 9 of the last 10 in all competitions.
City won this fixture 2-1 after losing 6 of their last 7 home games against Spurs. Games between these sides are always good for goals, and 5 of the last 6 have seen 3 goals.
Prediction
City will look to build on their decent home results this season, the only thing that is keeping them out of the relegation zone at the moment and Mark Hughes must know he has a lot to do if he wants to prove to the owners of the club that he is the man for the job.
Tottenham have seemed to have been given a little rub of the green under Harry Redknapp, late goals winning the game against Liverpool and drawing at Arsenal. They still look vulnerable at the back although they are beginning to look like they should when going forward.
I see goals in this game, both sides look like they are struggling to keep clean sheets and both score for fun. Add in the history in games betweens these sides and thats what I will play here.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Manchester City 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur
BEST BETTING TIP :
OVER 2.5 GOALS
