Manchester City vs. Tottenham: Team News, Preview, Live-Stream, TV Info
Manchester City will be desperate to rekindle their Premier League title hopes on Saturday, when they host Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium.
Manager Pep Guardiola has watched his men implode recently, and the Sky Blues go into the match in fifth place, three points behind Spurs.
Tottenham have rediscovered their devastating form of last term, with Harry Kane and Dele Alli both back to their goalscoring best.
Defeat could see City fall to sixth place if Manchester United win at Stoke City earlier in the day.
Here is how you can watch the action unfold.
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21
Time: 5:30 p.m GMT/12:30 p.m ET
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK only), NBC (U.S. only)
Live Stream: BT Sport App, NBC Sports
Preview
Guardiola's arrival at Eastlands was supposed to herald a brave new era for City given he is one of the best coaches in the world. However, the Spaniard's first six months in England proved to be imperfect and nervous.
City lost 4-0 at Everton in their last league outing, and if the manager could change his whole defence with new players, he surely would.
Summer signing John Stones has proved he is nowhere near the finished product, and City lack leadership in every department of the pitch.
In comparison, Spurs are flying and arrive in Manchester on the crest of a wave, with Kane finding the back of the net for fun. The England international has 13 goals in 16 Premier League appearances this season, according to WhoScored.com.
Spurs lie second in the table, but Liverpool, Arsenal and City are all within three points of the White Hart Lane club.
Still, the focus remains on City and their high-profile manager. Guillem Balague of Sky Sports said his compatriot does not have the squad to implement his philosophy:
"When you go from winning 5-0 at West Ham to losing 4-0 at Everton, the first conclusion you make is that this does not look like a Pep Guardiola team.
And the next question is: can he sort it out and take it to a place where it looks more like a Pep Guardiola team? And that is a leap of faith.
Most people are saying he is failing because this is a completely different league. I believe this is part of a process where he is getting to know the players and the league.
What is happening, I think, is that a chef cannot provide the best food without the right ingredients and he does not have the players for what he needs.
"
The City boss will be given time to improve his team, but the club's owner, City Football Group, will want to see progression from a squad in which it has invested close to £1 billion since taking over in 2008.
Defeat to Spurs will see the hosts' title challenge effectively end, and they could be 13 points behind league leaders Chelsea by the end of Sunday.
According to Jamie Jackson of the Guardian, Gabriel Jesus could make his debut for City, and the Brazilian prodigy's arrival might be perfectly timed considering their recent problems.
The 19-year-old attacker is one of the brightest talents on the planet, and he could give Sky Blues supporters the boost they need during a difficult period.
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
