After coming off a vital win at home to Watford last week, Tottenham Hotspur now face their biggest challenge yet. This weekend, Spurs face an away trip to the Etihad Stadium to face title rivals Manchester City.
City have a reputation of beating Spurs with ease, especially at home. But times have changed this season as Spurs look to do an impressive double over the giants and take a closer step forward towards the title.
A different Spurs squad
Last time out, Mauricio Pochettino’s men were humiliated in a 4-1 defeat. Hugo Lloris, seeming to get more familiar by the year at picking the ball from the back off his net from a Sergio Agüero strike. Last year, he had to pick four out, in a sensational performance from the striker.
A Spurs side that had seen better days, a defence including Federico Fazio and Younes Kaboul, simply asking for trouble. It was indeed trouble they brought, Fazio picking up a second-half sending off.
Tottenham looked out of ideas, especially with Roberto Soldado leading the way up top. The squad lacked real stability and strength, which saw them get humiliated by one man. The squad was a rather old team, well - at least compared to this current season. Various players who did not fit the system in which Pochettino intended to achieve, thus resulting to them being axed either in January transfer window, or last Summer.
The loss was impeccable, City comfortably dominating the game in which they retained 61% possession throughout the entire match. A game which they controlled, allowed them to tire out a lackluster Spurs defence, resulting in Agüero netting four goals that game. However, the Etihad Stadium is certainly one that will haunt the Spurs fans for some time.
Youth prevails
How time can change a squad. Back then, you'd think about the game a year later, and people would be previewing this game as an easy three points wrapped up for City.
Wrong. Tottenham Hotspur go into this game full of confidence, placed second in the league, and a point above City. This couldn't come at a better time for the squad.
Earlier this year Tottenham marked their authority in the league, beating City in a satisfying 4-1 victory of their own. One that many fans will indeed remember. The squad has done some evolving, thanks to a certain Daniel Levy for trusting in the manager. The recruitments of 19-year-old Dele Alli, defender Toby Alderweireld and midfielder Heung-Min Son all revamping the side.
It did look like it would be a new season and the same old result after Belgium sensation Kevin De Bruyne slotted in the first goal for City. However, it was to be different this time, Spurs ending up celebrating an emphatic 4-1 against the then title favourites.
A game in which Spurs attracted the attention of many footballing fans, they stated that they mean business this season. They were here to play, and nobody was going to run them over easily. The youngest average squad in the league, at 24 years of age, were able to match, if not beat, City in all key areas of the field.
They were fitter, had more drive, determination and passion on the day. A somewhat ‘raw’ side which left everything on the field were able to finally knock of their ‘bogey team’. The strong presence of youth enabled Spurs to maintain a high level of performance and pressure, something which they have shown they can do game in and game out.
Now, if they can do the same on Sunday, people might just start to take notice that little bit more.