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Tottenham versus Manchester City preview: 5 keys to watch

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 26: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City and Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur compete for the ball during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at White Hart Lane on September 26, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 26: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City and Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur compete for the ball during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at White Hart Lane on September 26, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images) /
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06: Manuel Pellegrini (R), manager of Manchester City shakes hands with Yaya Toure (L) as he substitutes during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium on February 6, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 06: Manuel Pellegrini (R), manager of Manchester City shakes hands with Yaya Toure (L) as he substitutes during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium on February 6, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /

3. Will Yaya Toure try?

When Yaya Toure is fully engaged in a match, there isn’t a more dynamic midfielder in the Premier League. Unfortunately for City, those matches seem to occur less and less often these days.

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When news of Manuel Pellegrini’s lame duck status broke, my thoughts quickly turned to Yaya Toure. The Chilean manager struggled to motivate his enigmatic star when he was the permanent boss, how can he be expected to keep Toure on task with no real power?

The simple answer is that he cannot. Pellegrini can only hope that he gets the good version of Toure more often than not. That can’t be a comforting feeling for the City boss.

Typically Toure plays harder in what he perceives to be “big” matches so we should see a good version of the bulky midfielder for this match-up. You can’t be certain of his effort level though, and that’s why this is one of five keys that will determine the match’s winner. It’s a sad question to have to ask, but City fans know there is a real chance they will see an unmotivated, uninterested Toure against Spurs.

Next: Can Manchester City's centre backs handle Harry Kane?

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