FA Cup: Tottenham vs Manchester City Live
Preview
Arguably the most exciting match of the FA Cup fourth round, Tottenham Hotspur will host defending champions Manchester City in a highly anticipated North London contest on Friday. Tottenham narrowly defeated Burnley 1-0 to secure a match against the treble winners, who started their campaign for consecutive titles with a 5-0 victory over Huddersfield Town in the third round.
With no chance to compete for a European trophy and an early exit from the EFL Cup, Tottenham’s best opportunity to end their 16-year trophy drought is the FA Cup, unless they unexpectedly make a comeback in the Premier League. Their recent matches against Burnley and Manchester United have been a mixed bag, with a win against Burnley and a draw against Manchester United. Their upcoming FA Cup match against the reigning champions will be their first home tie against the reigning champions since 1952.
Manchester City started their quest for a second consecutive FA Cup title with a dominant 5-0 victory over Huddersfield Town at the Etihad Stadium. This win marked their fifth consecutive victory in all competitions. They then went on to defeat Newcastle 3-2, with Kevin De Bruyne making a significant impact in his return to the Premier League. Despite trailing in the title race, City is determined to close the gap on leaders Liverpool and avoid an early exit from the FA Cup. They have been in good form, scoring at least two goals in their last nine matches, but have struggled at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, losing all five games without scoring a goal.
Head-to-head
These two teams played to an exciting 3-3 draw in the Premier League match at Etihad Stadium on December 3rd. In their last five meetings with Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur have won three times, drawn once, and lost once.
Prediction
After an intense and contentious six-goal draw between Tottenham and Man City at the Etihad in December, another high-scoring match is expected on Friday, especially since both teams have had a weekend off after their action-packed top-flight games. Due to Tottenham’s midfield absences, Man City’s struggle to score at Spurs’ home ground may finally come to an end, but a rematch may be necessary to decide which team advances to the fifth round.
