Team news

Spurs are still without Mousa Dembele (hip), Scott Parker (achilles), Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Younes Kaboul (both knee).

Sandro could return from a calf strain while Emmanuel Adebayor is available for selection against his former club. Brad Friedel is likely to return in goal in place of Hugo Lloris.

Manchester City have David Silva once again available to them but the midfielder is unlikely to play 90 minutes. 

Joleon Lescott and Maicon could also return but Micah Richards, James Milner and Jack Rodwell are all definitely out.

Where it will be won and lost

Both teams are desperate to bounce back from recent disappointment and it could prove to be a matter of who blinks first at the Etihad.

Neither manager will want to lose and it seems unlikely to be anywhere near as open a match as this fixture last year which saw Man City win 3-2.

That result was defined by two chances in the final seconds of the match - one missed by the outstretched leg of Jermain Defoe, and one taken from the penalty spot by Mario Balotelli.

And if this is to be a game of few opportunities, it could similarly be decided by which attack is the more clinical when those chances arrive.

Prediction

Expect a tight match decided by the odd goal and Man City's strike force are probably the more likely to score it.

Man City win, 1-0.