Manchester City Fantasy Fan View v Spurs
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Written by Adam Wareing from City Watch
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Preview
Manchester City face Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday just three days after breaking the consecutive Premier League win record against Swansea on Wednesday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have seen their title chances disappear in the last two months and now find themselves 18 points behind their league-leading opposition.
Spurs have won three out of the last four meetings between the two sides, but a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture last season does not seem likely with City’s current form.
READ MORE: How to win money playing fantasy football with Yahoo Daily Fantasy
Key battles
Silva v Sissoko
David Silva showed just why he is deemed the best City player ever by many fans after a man of the match performance topped off by two goals on Wednesday.
The Spaniard has found his shooting boots under Guardiola, scoring four in his last three matches, leaving no real weakness in his game for Moussa Sissoko to take comfort in.
Being the only defensively-competent midfield regular for Tottenham, it will be his turn to try his hand at reducing Silva’s influence on the game, an almost impossible task of late.
Mangala v Kane
Eliaquim Mangala was not tested against Swansea, but expect Harry Kane to give the French centre-back much more to think about on Saturday.
It goes without saying that City will dominate possession, so when Spurs have the opportunity to counter, it will be vital for Kane to take every chance presented to him.
The 24-year-old has scored five in his last six games, making him the league’s second most prolific scorer and he will be a true test for City’s weakened defence.
Who to pick
Gabriel Jesus (£20 on Yahoo) was rested on Wednesday to watch Sergio Aguero return to form with an excellent solo goal, and the Brazilian will need to repay Guardiola’s faith in him on Saturday.
The 20-year-old has become his manager’s number one striker since Mendy’s injury prevented City’s two front-men from playing alongside each other, but he hasn’t scored in six.
This weekend would be the perfect time to rectify that goal drought, and with Sane fresh from his midweek rest, the two could cause havoc to the Spurs back line.
Who to avoid
Bernardo Silva had his best game in a City shirt so far on Wednesday, but he will surely step back onto the bench when Tottenham come to town.
His cross to assist David Silva to put the Blues 1-0 up was inch-perfect, however, with Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus set to take their place back in the line-up, you shouldn’t pick Bernardo this week.
For games against lesser opposition this season, he will be a great addition to your side.
Who to watch
Oleksandr Zinchenko made his Premier League debut in midweek, and despite him having a long way to go before becoming a regular, Mendy’s injury could quicken his development.
With Fabian Delph being Pep’s only other option in that position, there may be periods this winter when the young Ukrainian is called upon to keep City’s starting XI fresh.
His price is incredibly low on all platforms (£10 on Yahoo), so keep an eye out for Pep using the 21-year-old’s energy as fixtures come thick and fast.
