Tottenham vs Manchester City – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Spurs could put the title back in bitter rivals Arsenal’s hands if they can stop Pep Guardiola’s champions from winning

‘Wondering how City approach this’

Jack Gaughan, Mail Sport, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium:

Wondering how City approach this tonight. Do they contain and try to control the night early on, just to see what the atmosphere is like, or just go for it and try to get it done early on?

Can Tottenham still qualify for UCL?

Tottenham are still in the hunt for a top-four spot… just about.

They are five points behind Aston Villa after the Villans draw yesterday, and could close the gap to two with a win tonight.

The fact they are still in with a chance of Champions League football is amazing considering their form. Win tonight, and you just never know.

Easier said than done…

Kyle Walker: ‘Need to treat this game as a final’

Kyle Walker, Manchester City defender, on Sky Sports:

There is a lot on the line, we have had tough games here and it is going to be another tough game tonight. We need to treat this game as a final, which it is.We have played in big games like this before, it’s about keeping your composure, making sure any slight mistake doesn’t happen, and go and score goals at the other end.We will just go and be us, that is all we can ask for from the lads and us as a group of players. We will see what happens come the end of the game.

Gvardiol the goalscorer

Josko Gvardiol is on fire at the moment.

When The Croatian defender signed for Manchester City, I expected to be a revelation… but at the back.

However, after taking a while to settle, the former RB Leipzig man has come into his own in front of goal.

Gvardiol has netted five goals in his last seven games for the club, including a brace at Fulham on Saturday.

He will be on the hunt for more today.

Fan Comment

Steve, London: ‘We’ll definitely have a go at them tonight and hopefully take 3 points’ – Justin Baker, aged 6, Spurs captain.

Nearly got me for a moment… I must admit this comment made me chuckle.

Guardiola’s bogey team

Pep Guardiola normally doesn’t struggle, but against Tottenham he does… from time to time.

Since being in charge at City, they have lost six Premier League games against Tottenham, more than against any other opponent.

Not just that, but their record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the league is woeful.

They are yet to score in their four trips to the stadium in the League, losing all of them.

Will that run come to an end tonight?

Van de Ven at LB?

While it’s a strong Tottenham team, I can’t help but be surprised to see Mickey van de Ven at left-back.

Yes, I know he played there briefly at the weekend, but he has been brilliant as a centre-back this campaign.

He certainly has the pace for it though, so it will be interesting to see his battle with Bernardo Silva

Man City Team News – Walker STARTS

Just the one change for Manchester City, following their 4-0 thumping of Fulham.

Kyle Walker replaces the injured Nathan Ake.

Not exactly a bad person to bring into the side, eh?

Tottenham Team News – THREE changes

Well, it’s a strong Tottenham team.

Ange Postecoglou has made three changes from the team that scraped a 2-1 victory against Burnley at the weekend.

Radu Dragusin, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg all come into the side.

It seems Mickey van de Ven Is set to be deployed at left-back.

Jamie Carragher: ‘Crowd won’t take Spurs anywhere tonight’

Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool defender, on Sky Sports:

Once that whistle is blown, you’re (as a player) giving everything in that game. But what won’t happen is, the crowd won’t take them anywhere tonight. If Spurs get anything from this game it will be all down to themselves.

City on a roll

Manchester City are really enjoying life at the moment.

It’s fair to say they don’t really get homesick, especially this time of year.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won four Premier League away games on the trot, scoring 10 goals in their last three combined, while conceding none.

However, as we will go into depth later, they aren’t always keen on a trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Will they be able to continue their fine form tonight?

What atmosphere will we get?

So, the fans are starting to arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

I am interested to see what kind of atmosphere there will be tonight with the predicament Tottenham fans are in.

Many season ticket holders couldn’t even bear the thought of turning up tonight, so returned their tickets to the club.

It means there could be a lot of empty seats inside the stadium tonight, which is a rarity.

It’s such an odd situation…

Tottenham arrive early

What is going through their heads?

Surely, I mean surely, as competitive professional athletes, all Tottenham want to do is win tonight…

It’s an interesting situation for them to be in, but to stay focused, they may have to block out all the noise.

Jamie Carragher: ‘Spurs fans shouldn’t want their team to win tonight’

Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool defender, on Sky Sports:

I can’t wait for it to start just to see what the atmosphere is like. This is not unique, it’s happened before, but I don’t think a Spurs fan should want their team to win tonight.I’ve grown up in a city with a similar rivalry and if the boot was on the other foot I think Arsenal fans would be exactly the same.

Should Spurs fans want to win?

I think Ange Postecoglou has made his opinion on this subject very clear…

However, what do all of you think?

Personally, I can understand the anguish Spurs fans, but I feel when the game gets going their will to win will subside their hate of Arsenal.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Ange Postecoglou: ‘I will never understand if someone wants their own team to lose’

Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham boss, speaking on Monday:

I understand rivalry, I was part of one of the biggest ones in the world in the last couple of years with Celtic and Rangers. But I will never understand if someone wants their own team to lose.That’s not what sport is about. It’s not what I love about the game. What I love more than anything is the competitiveness, challenging yourself to beat someone and coming out successful. Anything outside of that, it’s got nothing to do with sport.If other people want to treat it that way, that they get pleasure from other people’s misery, that’s not how I’ve lived my life and how I perceive my role. My role is to bring success to this football club and I know 100 percent of Spurs supporters want us to win, to be successful, and win trophies. Winning will help us bring joy to 100 percent of Spurs supporters.

Conflicting emotions for Spurs

Did Tottenham fans ever think that they would be in this position?

It feels like the majority of their fanbase is desperate for them to lose tonight. If they win they allow Arsenal to take pole position in the title race going into the final day.

You don’t need a genius to tell you that Spurs hate the Gunners, so it makes this a very sticky situation for them.

One Spurs fan told me they are not ‘hoping’ they lose but would be ‘happy to lose’ I think that statement shows the conflict perfectly.

Most Tottenham supporters would echo that statement, but not all do.

Another fan told me they want a Spurs win, despite not wanting Arsenal to win the league because they support their team and ‘City need to do it on their own’.

Contrasting thoughts…

What’s at stake

So, we know the title race is going to go to the final day.

However, that doesn’t mean that today won’t play a deciding factor in where the Premier League trophy ends up.

After Arsenal’s win at Old Trafford on Sunday, the Gunners sit top of the pile by one point.

A Tottenham win, or even get a draw, means Arsenal will be top going into the final day. Meanwhile, a City win means they will be two points clear and on course for a record fourth consecutive Premier League title.

Can Spurs aid bitter rivals title charge?

This is simply a situation all Spurs fans wanted to avoid.

If Tottenham beat Manchester City tonight, their north London rivals, Arsenal, will go into the final day one point clear of the Citizens at the summit of the Premier League.

There is no doubt that the Gunners fans will be supporting Tottenham for one night only, their destiny lies in their hands.

Or does it? We have to remember, City look unstoppable now, while Tottenham are far from their best form.

Even if Spurs do make a fight of it tonight, it doesn’t guarantee that they will be able to topple the Pep Guardiola’s team of juggernauts.

If they do though, they will have done their greatest enemies a huge favour.

‘Title decider’ at Tottenham

It’s arguably the biggest night of the season.

The build-up to tonight’s game between Tottenham and Manchester City has been bizarre, and that’s an understatement.

This game feels like it is going to decide the Premier League title race between City and Spurs’ bitter rivals, Arsenal.

However, Tottenham fans could think of nothing worse than seeing the Gunners lift the trophy aloft on Sunday, but if they beat the Citizens tonight, that becomes more than a distinct possibility.

I imagine it is going to be one of the strangest atmospheres we have seen, and the match could be the same. Stick with us to see how it will unfold.

I’m intrigued to see what will play out.