Pep Guardiola has admitted Manchester City’s clash against Tottenham this weekend will be ‘more difficult’ due to both clubs’ differing levels of form.
Spurs have fallen behind in the race for the top four having suffered three consecutive defeats against Chelsea, Southampton and Wolves.
However, Antonio Conte’s side remain just about in the mix, seven points off Manchester United in fourth with as many as three games in hand over some teams around them.
Hosts City, meanwhile, have continued their strong level of form heading into Saturday evening’s fixture, and have dropped just two league points since the end of October.
While both sides are on different trajectories, Guardiola is expecting Spurs to put up a strong fight with the ‘weapons’ the squad possesses and believes they will be determined to bring an end to their recent rut.
He said (via Manchester Evening News): “This is the problem, the fact they’ve lost three times they’ll be more difficult tomorrow. To lose four times in a row is not easy for top teams.
“They have a lot of weapons, [Heung-min] Son we suffer every time, with [Harry] Kane, [Lucas] Moura, they have a lot of quality. Midfield and physicality. The patterns they do, what I saw yesterday and today, they realise.
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“A manager arrives in the middle of the season changes things is not easy. Playing every three days. You need time but in football, there is no time, this club gave me time so I am grateful. All managers need time to try to convince the players to follow what you feel.”
Tottenham won the reverse fixture 1-0 on the opening day of the season under Nuno Espirito Santo, with Heung-min Son’s lone strike proving to be the difference.
Spurs Web Opinion
Tottenham have it up against them really but they have proved themselves against Man City before. Obviously, it is going to be tough to get a good result with both sides at the opposite ends of the form chart, but it isn’t impossible to achieve if everyone in the side is on the same page.
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