In many ways, the reaction to Tottenham’s last meeting with Manchester City epitomised Jose Mourinho’s first year at the club.
The natural conclusion to be drawn from that 2-0 victory, courtesy of goals from debutant Steven Bergwijn and Son Heung-min, was that the Portuguese’s tactics had worked down to a tee.
That was in spite of Pep Guardiola’s side recording 67 per cent possession and 19 attempts to Spurs’ three. Well so what, if City didn’t score? Or had Spurs actually just got lucky? The jury’s still out on that one.
A more useful statistic is that only Liverpool and City have picked up more Premier League points than the north Londoners in the 365 days since Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino. They have won just over half of his games in charge.
Spurs have not achieved those feats in archetypal Mourinho fashion. Chelsea are the one team who have scored more goals than them this season (20 to Tottenham’s 19), yet there have been plenty of occasions when they have looked devoid of any real rhythm or panache. In last season’s “fair play” table, only Arsenal were beneath them, so perhaps the notion that they’ve learned to be a little nastier rings true.
The way Spurs now operate is not necessarily Mourinho’s style, but it isn’t really the Spurs way either. So what is it, and how will they go about undoing City again? The headlines are no longer dominated by the two men on the touchline in the way they once were when these eternal rivals met, but it is still set to be a fascinating clash between two opposing ideologies.
Where Spurs vs Man City will be won and lost
Guardiola’s approach might be more pleasing to football purists, but he has a number of considerations to take into account if his side are to be more clinical this time around at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
When Pep’s Barcelona used to meet Jose’s Real Madrid in La Liga, the Blaugrana used to operate with a high back line which sprung into action upon losing possession. So it was in City’s defeat to Spurs.
Without the injured Harry Kane, Mourinho’s attack shifted to a pressing two – reliant on Dele Alli (remember him?) – whenever City regained the ball.
On Saturday, Kane will be leading the line alone, with a likely trio of Son, Tanguy Ndombele and Gareth Bale behind him.
It will suit Mourinho if his 4-2-3-1 offers another layer of protection and his front line don’t have to press too intensely, with three of the four having featured for their respective countries in midweek.
As for City, they will hope to target Spurs down the left. Matt Doherty’s period of self-isolation following a positive coronavirus test means Serge Aurier will replace him at right-back. The Ivorian may be granted more freedom down the wing but threatens to leave the defence exposed; that could hint at Mourinho using three centre-backs.
Guardiola’s record vs Mourinho
- Played: 23
- Won: 11
- Drawn: 6
- Lost: 6
With the majority of City’s attacks coming from the wide areas, Spurs can’t afford to be preoccupied with manning the flanks and leaving Kevin De Bruyne unattended in the middle.
The advantage of having Ndombele, or alternatively Giovani Lo Celso, as part of the attack is that they can drop deeper when required to offer another body in central midfield.
For the two managers, these dilemmas are now more significant than their own conflict. Not only does Tottenham vs Manchester City lack the drama of a Clasico, or the Manchester derby which pitted them against one another before, Guardiola and Mourinho have changed.
Critics of the Tottenham boss will tell you the bitterness that once engulfed the former friends has only dimmed because Mourinho is no longer at the height of his powers. Saturday’s match could tell us a lot about whether he is still able to outfox the very best.
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