Tottenham v Manchester City: 6 reasons Spurs will triumph

3 of 7

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 14: Kyle Walker of Tottenham Hotspur reacts to setting up his sides third goal of the game during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion at White Hart Lane on January 14, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

5. Walker can cope with Sterling

Raheem Sterling isn’t the most skillful player at Guardiola’s disposal, but he is the fastest. He enters most matches with a significant speed advantage against the fullback charged with marking him. Unfortunately for the former Liverpool star, that won’t be the case today.

Tottenham right back Kyle Walker may not be able to top Sterling in a foot race, but it would be a photo finish. At the very least, he has enough pace to avoid being blistered by Sterling. That will force the City attacker to rely on his skill more than his speed. That doesn’t bode well for City.

Walker’s pace will also force Sterling to play a deeper role on the pitch than normal. As much as he’ll be expected to get forward for City’s attack, he’ll need to make sure Walker doesn’t terrorize his defense as well. If Sterling doesn’t play an excellent match on both ends of the pitch, his side could be in for a long afternoon.

Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling will both run up and down the pitch all day long. In the end, the Spurs man will get the better of his City counterpart by using his physicality to keep Sterling off the ball.

Home/Tottenham Hotspur