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Written by Adam Wareing from City Watch

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Preview

Manchester City will look to regain their stride against Tottenham after three major defeats in a row.

Pep Guardiola’s side looked tired in the second half against Manchester United and Liverpool, so it’s the ideal time for high-flying Tottenham to face the champions elect.

This fixture last season saw Spurs win 2-0, and Mauricio Pochettino will aim to repeat that to strengthen their grasp on a top four spot.

Key battles

Kane v Kompany

Harry Kane seems to be doing whatever he can to chase down that golden boot, so Vincent Kompany will need to be on top of his game to stop the English marksman with 25 Premier League goals so far this season.

Kompany didn’t feature during City’s Champions League exit on Tuesday, presumably because he couldn’t play three games in a week, so he’s been rested now and will want to make amends for the derby defeat.

City’s defence during the second half against United seemed timid and with a threat like Harry Kane, it’s hard to see him not scoring against the Blues.

Tripper v Sane

Leroy Sane’s performances have dropped over the last 10 days along with everyone else in City’s squad, so can he get back to form on Saturday?

It’s debatable whether Kieran Trippier possesses the physical capability to stop the German in full flow, but there’s no doubt he’ll need assistance from his centre-backs.

Trent Alexander-Arnold managed to mute Sane’s influence in the recent Champions League quarter-finals, so the City academy graduate will take confidence from that.

Who to pick

City are likely to concede, so selecting a defender wouldn’t be wise, and even Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva haven’t performed and could even be given bench time to recuperate.

Fernandinho is suspended for two games, so Ilkay Gundogan may slot into his position on Saturday, and at the salary of £16 on Yahoo, he could be a great option.

Who to avoid

After the week City have had, it’s harder to find someone not to avoid, which is certainly a strange scenario after the way this season’s shaped up.

Kyle Walker has been somewhat of a weak link over the past week and perhaps his teammates’ qualities so far this season have helped hide that he’s simply not good enough at retaining the ball.

The England international could up his game amidst the inevitable boos from around Wembley, but his performance under the Anfield pressure suggests he may not be able to handle it and should be avoided by fantasy players at all costs.

Who to watch

A lack of rotation has been why City have been so dominant this season, but it’s also a factor in why the past two weeks have been so disappointing.

Now it seems playing in all competitions has wore City’s key players down, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva could find themselves starting more games.

Rotation will be frequent as City wrap up the title, so good luck trying to get into Guardiola’s head to spot who will play and when.