Premier League 2018/19: Manchester City vs Tottenham, 3 key battles that you cannot miss

Modified Apr 19, 2019 06:56 GMT

The rematch between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League seems a bit too soon after the latter knocked the former out of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday at the same venue. Pep Guardiola's men will be even smarter after being knocked out and keen on putting that behind them.

Tottenham will be looking to get all three points from this game to improve their chances of finishing in the top four of the EPL table while City need to get a win to stay in the tight title race run between them and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.

We pick out three key battles that you can not miss on Saturday.

1) Sergio Aguero vs Jan Vertonghen

City's Argentinian centre-forward, Sergio Aguero, will have had sleepless nights since his team's quarterfinal exit from the UCL on Wednesday to the same opponents they face on Saturday. His last-minute goal was ruled as an offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Replays showed that Aguero had been a tad ahead of the line of Tottenham defenders and that was enough for the goal to be marked as offside. If the goal had been given, City would have been through to the semifinal.

On Saturday, he will be marked closely by Spurs' Belgian centre-half Jan Vertonghen who will not give him any space to act upon or unleash his many tricks.

2) Kevin De Bruyne vs Christian Eriksen

Manchester City's Belgian attacking midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne, had a brilliant game at the Etihad on Wednesday as he bagged three assists but his performance was not enough to ensure that his team went through to the semifinal. De Bruyne is highly rated and is someone who can pick out a pass from anywhere and create spaces out of nowhere.

Christian Eriksen does almost the same job for Mauricio Pochettino's team although he plays in a more advanced role. The clash between the Belgian and the Dane on Saturday will bound to be very exciting. The latter is famed for his cross-control shots.

3) Aymeric Laporte vs Heung-Min Son

Heung Min Son had an incredible game midweek

In Harry Kane's absence, the South Korean international, Heung-Min Son, has done a brilliant job at the top of the attack. He has thrived in his more central position and can often be seen as latching into errors made by opposition defenders. Son is wily and quick to prowl upon the goal. He is a brilliant goal-poacher.

Manchester City's French centre-back Aymeric Laporte had an indifferent game on Wednesday and will be hoping to put that bad showing behind him for a fresh start on Saturday. He is perhaps the best centre-back City have in their roster.

Edited by Jong Ching Yee