Manchester City vs Tottenham: Haaland vs Kane In Table Topping Clash
Saturday 10th September - 17:30
This is a fixture that usually leads to an exciting encounter, with goals plentiful, and with Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte possessing arguably the two best finishers in the Premier League, you can expect a goal or two from this Etihad Stadium clash.
Second hosts third in a game that Arsenal fans will hope ends in a stalemate, and most Premier League betting action that doesn’t come from loyal fans of either side will no doubt back a potential draw, albeit a high-scoring one.
Haaland Can Not Stop Scoring
Pep Guardiola’s side had no issue scoring goals in recent seasons, but you could have argued that on occasion, they lacked an out-and-out striker who scores goals for fun, especially since Sergio Aguero’s career at the club started to wind down, but now Manchester City are more than covered in that department.
Obviously, Erling Haaland was always going to be a success in the physically demanding confines of the Premier League, but the manner in which his City career has kicked off is pretty astonishing.
The 22-year-old has scored 12 goals in seven fixtures in Premier and Champions League action, and frankly, that strike rate shows no sign of slowing down, and anyone who bet on another striker to finish as the top-scorer in the English top flight may as well kiss goodbye to that betting slip.
Manchester City haven’t had it all their own way. After all, they have dropped points against both Newcastle United and Aston Villa, but they still look very healthy and continue to be the runaway favourites to win the Premier League.
It seems clear that Guardiola’s primary focus will be to end the club’s Champions League drought, but the chances of a fifth Premier League crown in six seasons are very high indeed, and the depth that the Spaniard’s squad contains is more than enough to mount multiple title pushes.
Conte’s Spurs Fear No One
As much as the doomed appointment of Nuno Santos as Tottenham boss last summer set the North London side back, the speedy firing of the Portuguese coach and the successful pursuit and capture of Antonio Conte has basically rejuvenated Spurs.
Prior to his arrival, things were not going well. Harry Kane had attempted to flee, a transfer that would severely hamper any hopes of progress towards winning silverware, and on the whole, the squad at the club lacked depth, and progression was stale to nil.
The effectiveness of Conte’s reign is there for all to see. Firstly he steered Tottenham back into the Champions League, and the recruitment drive at the club has been greatly aided by his mere presence at the helm.
Tottenham are unbeaten in six and are well placed to not only retain their top-four status but also possible push for a longshot title charge as well as perhaps win the club’s first trophy since 2008.
Conte brought in solid depth over the summer with the likes of Richarlison (who bagged two goals in his Champions League debut in midweek), Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma, and a number of other young talents, such as English right-back Djed Spence, offering cover for the inevitable knocks that come with what is going to be a very compact season.
Best Bets
Back the Draw With Both Teams to Score with Erling Haaland AND Harry Kane to Score - 22/1
This monster bet, courtesy of Grosvenor Sports, may seem a long shot but is, in fact, entirely plausible.
Tottenham fare better than most when they play at the Etihad Stadium; last season, they ran out 3-2 winners, and a draw is the kind of result that looks pretty likely given the form of both teams.
Haaland is also pretty likely to net in the fixture, and the odds of 22/1 make this bet well worth placing a cheeky fiver on.
