Many pundits and fans alike expected for Pep Guardiola to revolutionise English football by the end of his tenure in the blue half of Manchester. But, with the results and performances so far, it seems like the Spaniard has achieved that in the 10 games he has been in charge. This start must have surely surprised Pep himself. The transition has been incredibly successful so far, with the players seeming to understand their manager’s demands. They were even able to win the Manchester derby away from home, which was a big statement in a huge match.
However, are we all forgetting about the team right on their heels, Tottenham Hotspur?
Spurs have been underrated this year
Despite finishing behind Arsenal again in the dying moments of last season, the common consensus was that Tottenham had a stellar season and were the closest challengers to Leicester City’s title winning side. Mauricio Pochettino was able to inspire all of the incredibly talented players he had at his disposal to work as a team, with youngsters like Dele Alli and Eric Dier impressing. Yet, at the start of this season, they were not mentioned among the major title contenders. Of course, this has something to do with Guardiola’s arrival at City and Mourinho coming in at United.
But, impressive performances and results at the start of this season have again highlighted the fact that Spurs are a real threat to win their first Premier League title. If they are able to win on Sunday, they would surely be contenders again.
Pochettino has Premier League experience on his side
When Mauricio arrived at Southampton in January 2013, many people were outraged at Nigel Adkins’ departure from the club.
He had delivered promotion to the Premier League and all the pundits felt that it was unjustified. However, as time went on, fans started to understand the brilliance of the Argentine. High pressing and an aggressive style are his trademarks for the teams he manages. Furthermore, with the promotion of young English players such as Luke Shaw, the admiration for Pochettino grew by the day.
Giving the Saints their highest place finish since 2003 was the crown for his legacy at the club. When he arrived at Tottenham, he did not sacrifice his style for the need of results. Getting back in the Champions League last season was a massive achievement. Now, it looks as if he is more relaxed in his role and understands his players’ strengths and weaknesses a lot better. This may give him the edge over Guardiola on Sunday.
Style of play will hurry City
As mentioned before, Mauricio likes to have his team press high up the pitch and be aggressive in their attitude on the pitch. Historically, Pep’s philosophy has been to keep the ball in order to play with it, with the forwards using their instinct to create chances in the final third.
These two styles will be locking horns on Sunday, and it will be fascinating to see who will come out on top. One thing to look out for will be the way Tottenham look to attack Claudio Bravo when he is on the ball. The ball playing goalkeeper preferred to Joe Hart by Guardiola will be under severe pressure. He looked uncomfortable against Manchester United earlier in the season, and with Tottenham having some incredibly quick players, he could have his hands full. Tottenham will hope their style leads to a mistake from Bravo on Sunday.
So, as fans expect Manchester City to win again, they must be wary of the threat possessed by Tottenham Hotspur and their exceptional Argentine manager.
