Tottenham take on Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend.
Jermaine Jenas during a press conference
Former Tottenham midfielder and current pundit Jermaine Jenas has told BBC Sport that he thinks Spurs will beat Manchester City this weekend – and will challenge for the Premier League title.
Spurs are back in league action this weekend having beaten CSKA Moscow 1-0 in the Champions League in midweek, and face their toughest task so far as they take on Manchester City.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino applauds the fans
With four wins and two draws from their opening six games, Tottenham sit in second place in the Premier League table, and will be looking to hand league leaders City their first league defeat of the season.
Last season, Spurs beat City twice in the league as they hammered them 4-1 at White Hart Lane before claiming a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium back in February.
They face a different challenge now though with Pep Guardiola at the helm, though Mauricio Pochettino will be keen to beat the former Barcelona boss again having defeated him with Espanyol.
Tottenham’s Danny Rose celebrates scoring their first goal with Victor Wanyama and team mates
Ahead of Sunday’s clash, former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas has told BBC Sport that he thinks Tottenham will inflict a first competitive defeat on Guardiola’s City.
Jenas believes this is a much tougher task than when City beat Manchester United earlier this month, as Tottenham have a settled team that know how Pochettino wants to set up.
Jenas added that he thinks Tottenham can ‘go the distance’ in the title race, and will prove their credentials by beating City this weekend.
Jermaine Jenas
“Guardiola has already won the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, but he was up against a new manager in Jose Mourinho who did not know his best United XI at the time,” said Jenas. “Tottenham, in contrast, are a settled unit who already know how Mauricio Pochettino wants them to play and are very good at implementing it. When I tipped them to finish second before the season started, that played a big part in my thinking.”
“The fact Tottenham are picking up points even when they are not playing well is an ominous sign for their rivals, as is the way they improved after making a much slower start last season, when they eventually finished third.”
“If they beat City, it will be the sort of statement that will convince many people they are contenders again this year. For me, they have already shown that they are. Because of what I have already seen, I think Tottenham will win at White Hart Lane and also go the distance in the title race,” he added.
What’s your prediction for Tottenham v Manchester City?
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