Spurs (A) - Sun 1st Feb, 16:30 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[Blue warrior]

Pep's pre-match press conference is at 12.30. Usually boring because Pep doesn't give much away, but we might find out how long Doku is out for. Post-Galatasaray, Pep suggested he had a calf strain, but now they will have had time to assess it properly.

The other Pep doing it today.

 

[Eaststander1]

Last chance saloon for the league, really. United helped us out last week and we now need to go on a quintessential Pep run; I fully believe that Arsenal will implode if we exert pressure.

Approaching Febuary, it probably is the best opportunity we have now, not only for us , but for Villa too .... one or two of Arsenal's recent results can be called into question, and especially the united loss, but it might just gve them a title jolt, and kick start a winning run of form of them, and that's the last thing we need ..... teams are looking tired, games are counting down, and at the end of the day we can only look after our own results and hope things fall our way, but Arsenal could well find the drive and resilience to see things through successfully this time.

 

[Marvin.]

To win this league we need to finally win a few tough games, which in my mind means taking 6 pts from the next two, starting here. We really should be winning this game.

We have 17 points from 11 away games. We are underperforming our rivals here. Arsenal have 21 points from 11 away games. 4 points from the next 2 aways would be a good return. It outperforms Arsenal's return rate from all their aways.

 

[Marvin.]

The other Pep doing it today.

Oh thanks. I enjoyed his last press conference.

 

[Blue Hefner]

The Spurs’ stadium isn’t a difficult place to go. The only team that struggles to win there is Spurs!

A comfortable City win

 

[Marvin.]

Last chance saloon for the league, really. United helped us out last week and we now need to go on a quintessential Pep run; I fully believe that Arsenal will implode if we exert pressure.

At the current rate, Arsenal will get 83 points by the end of the season. If City get 11 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat that gets us to 82 points. Given we play them at home, that sort of form gives us a chance.

Your scenario is better but I can't see this City side going on a quintessential Pep run. Fortunately, Arsenal appear weaker than Klopp's Liverpool.

I am expecting a small pick-up from City with Semenyo, Guehi and Cherki. Do that, and beat Arsenal at home, might be enough. Haaland getting a good goal in midweek is good for us too.

 

[The Black Shed]

Expecting a Brentford type of game from Spurs. We have to control midfield and need two CDMs, in my opinion, to negate their counter attack. If Rodri or Gonzalez are there without help I think we'll struggle.

Let's go blues, a win by any outcome puts us right up Arsenal's arse.

 

[Sibierskii]

Last chance saloon for the league, really. United helped us out last week and we now need to go on a quintessential Pep run; I fully believe that Arsenal will implode if we exert pressure.

Leeds will kick the fuck out of Arsenal tomorrow. They're getting naff all at elland road. They’ve gone.

 

[LongsightM13]

The one thing spurs do well is breaking on transition with pace and third man runners from midfield and full back. Basically Pep’s kryptonite
The midfield will need to put a proper shift in defensively, we can’t have the naivety and the half hearted jogging back that we saw in Glimt and the Theatre of Rain and Rodents

 

[alexmcity]

I am expecting a small pick-up from City with Semenyo, Guehi and Cherki.

I'm expecting a significant pick-up from City with both Rodri and Gonzalez available. Several weeks aside, we have had only one of them so far.

 

[skillman]

Spurs are shit going forward. But our way of playing is absolutely perfect for them so I’m not holding out much hope for it unless Pep changes his tactics to suit the opposition, which I doubt.

If we inevitably camp in their half and inevitably lose the ball, they’ll do us on the counter and we won’t be able to break their pretty solid defence down.

Hope I’m wrong.

The Don

Nunes
Khusanov
Guehi
NOR

Nico G
Rodri
Bernie

Cherki
Haaland
Semenyo​

If we were changing our tactics then I’d go Marmoush in there for his pace but I doubt we will be. Tough one between NOR and Ait Nouri but think NOR deserves the nod.

 

[alexmcity]

Spurs are shit going forward. But our way of playing is absolutely perfect for them so I’m not holding out much hope for it unless Pep changes his tactics to suit the opposition, which I doubt.

If we inevitably camp in their half and inevitably lose the ball, they’ll do us on the counter and we won’t be able to break their pretty solid defence down.

Hope I’m wrong.

Trust Pep's judgement a bit more. We won the last 3 league games at Spurs.

Looking at their bench vs Frankfurt the other day: barely any good options... 8 good players are certain to miss the game. Van de Ven missed the last game but may be available on Sunday.

 

[Kamikaze Blue]

Looking on the bright side at least Brennan Johnson won't be scoring against us on Sunday.

 

[youngbob]

Goodness, Spurs will be missing eight players through injury. Maddison, Bentancur, Kudus, Davies, Bergvall, Richarlison, Pedro Porro, Kulusevski, and possibly Van De Ven.

Spurs seem to have switched to a 3-4-3 formation that the fans all like.

Vicario
Danso Romero VDV
Spence Palhinha Gallagher Udogie
Odobert Solanke Simons

That seems to be the consensus starting XI on their forums.

 

[JamesMCFC]

Goodness, Spurs will be missing eight players through injury. Maddison, Bentancur, Kudus, Davies, Bergvall, Richarlison, Pedro Porro, Kulusevski, and possibly Van De Ven.

Spurs seem to have switched to a 3-4-3 formation that the fans all like.

Vicario
Danso Romero VDV
Spence Palhinha Gallagher Udogie
Odobert Solanke Simons

That seems to be the consensus starting XI on their forums.

If we get beat of that shit just write the season off

 

[Marvin.]

Goodness, Spurs will be missing eight players through injury. Maddison, Bentancur, Kudus, Davies, Bergvall, Richarlison, Pedro Porro, Kulusevski, and possibly Van De Ven.

Spurs seem to have switched to a 3-4-3 formation that the fans all like.

Vicario
Danso Romero VDV
Spence Palhinha Gallagher Udogie
Odobert Solanke Simons

That seems to be the consensus starting XI on their forums.

Palhinha is very physical. So is Gallagher. Solanke played some minutes I think at Frankfurt.

 

[youngbob]

Palhinha is very physical. So is Gallagher. Solanke played some minutes I think at Frankfurt.

Very physical but not very creative. I think we'll match them for 3-4-3 with the ball anyway.

At points (mostly in possession) we'll probably see:
Donnarumma
Khusanov Bernardo Guehi
Nunes Rodri Cherki O'Reilly
Semenyo Haaland Marmoush

Think on paper it'll look like:
Donnarumma
Nunes Khusanov Guehi O'Reilly
Rodri Bernardo
Semenyo Cherki Marmoush
Haaland

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

Didn't we have a similar tale in the home game in August? Proper depleted Spuds side if I remember correctly.

 

[Father Paul]

Second worst home record they have.

Surely we cannot mess this one up.


View attachment 182040

Not sure our away form is that great but we should be winning this one if we are serious about winning the league. A bit tired of all this its their Cup Final and how the season for them is all about beating City. Common sense says they will be far more likely to become energised for the knock out stages of the CL. If we apply ourselves and play well we should win. If we play like we did against them last August we lose.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Looking on the bright side at least Brennan Johnson won't be scoring against us on Sunday.

Or Son or Kane.