Will there be goals galore again at the Etihad, could West Ham finish off Hughes and is Jack Wilshere the man to bring some beauty back into Arsenal’s play?
Since 2010-11, when the two games between these sides featured one goal between them, this has not been a fixture for goalkeepers. In 12 meetings there have been precisely 50 goals, scored at the rate of 4.2 per match. There is a recent history of mayhem, which coupled with the recent improvement in Tottenham’s form makes this probably the most likely moment for a while for the leaders’ successive-win juggernaut to come to a halt. Between this game and the visit to Arsenal at the end of February, City play Leicester twice, Newcastle twice, and five times against sides they have already beaten this season by an aggregate score of 24-3 (though that includes a visit to Liverpool). Should Pep Guardiola’s side emerge victorious on Saturday it becomes troublingly difficult to see where in the near future they might falter. Last season’s 2-2 draw in this fixture was memorable for some particularly poor goalkeeping: both City goals were down to Hugo Lloris clangers, and Claudio Bravo only faced two shots on target and let them both in. Ederson will present a more formidable obstacle for Spurs on Saturday. SB
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