Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City Betting Preview 02/02/2020

Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have one of the most fascinating and intense rivalries of any football managers.

The rivalry came to a head when they were in charge of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively and whilst the relationship has cooled down from those years when it verged on hatred, there is still a burning desire to get the better of one another.

The two meet again on Sunday when Manchester City travel to the capital to take on Tottenham. The bookies’ odds suggest that Guardiola will come out on top quite comfortably.

Will City live up to their billing as the odds on favourites, or can Tottenham pull off a surprise?

Guardiola Should Take the Points Back to Manchester

Reports of Jose Mourinho falling out with his players are nothing new. The Portuguese is a famously demanding manager and prickly character when you get on the wrong side of him. However, the speed at which he seems to have lost elements of the Tottenham dressing room is eye-opening.

Some well-briefed journalists have suggested that Danny Rose has fallen foul of Mourinho’s management style whilst other players have reportedly complained about the style of football that he’s introduced at Spurs.

Initially, things looked rosy for Mourinho. He got Tottenham playing with a more direct style of football that secured some big results and plenty of entertainment. Then came the tougher fixtures and his usual reliance on safety first tactics which came as a shock to a team so used to tackling the big matches head on.

There is clearly some merit to Mourinho’s approach – Tottenham came close to getting something against Liverpool, for example. But it is a significant change from what everybody at Spurs is used to and the foundations of this relationship already have the feeling of being built on sand.

The relationship between Pep Guardiola and Manchester City has been tested on occasion with PSG making overtures to the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager. He remains very much committed to the cause and to his style of football which he – rather like Mourinho – remains wedded to even after poor results.

Man City will take the game to Tottenham whenever they can on Sunday afternoon. Spurs will limit City’s chances but we expect the away team to make a breakthrough in the first half before holding out for the win. Therefore, a bet on the Man City/Man City selection in Boylesports’ Half Time/Full Time market looks tempting at 7/5.

Chances Set to be at a Premium

Whilst Guardiola will tell his players to go for the win rather than simply settling for a point, they are not going to give this match away with an overly ambitious approach. Guardiola has seen his team struggle against pacey attackers this season so City will need to be wary of the likes of Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min.

The best way for Man City to avoid Tottenham utilising their best attacking players is by denying them the ball. That shouldn’t prove to be too difficult as Mourinho sides are always comfortable out of possession so Spurs may all City to have the bulk of possession.

This is unlikely to be an end-to-end thriller as previous meetings between the two sides have been, so chance a bet on under 2.5 goals being scored at biggest odds of 7/4 with Betfair.

Betting Tips

Man City/Man City in Half Time/Full Time at 7/5 with Boylesports

Under 2.5 Goals at 7/4 with Betfair

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