Watch Manchester City vs Tottenham – as it happened live
So which of these nearly men will grow up? Spurs have the edge because a draw, barring a balls-up against Burnley at the weekend, will suffice for them – a fact that makes all the more ludicrous Roberto Mancini's decision to go for 0-0 at Arsenal two weeks ago (in terms of consequences on the race for fourth, a draw that day was the same as a defeat so why did he not use his £300m team to attack an injury-riddled Arsenal side that, as Wigan and Blackburn have recently proved, were there for the taking? A Sir Alex Ferguson Honorary Diploma for Services to Stereotypes for anyone who answers "because he's Italian" ). Realistically City need to win to take the next step towards achieving the ambitions of their gazillionaire sugardaddies – though, as Scott Murray suggests in this sovereign exegesis of the club, you can't say that with a huge amount of confidence.
Form indicates that City should win. They've been mostly formidable at home this season while Spurs have not won away against any team in the top half. But form is unlikely to have much bearing on what is essentially a cup-tie. Like Virgin Media, whose customer support telephonists are frequently rude and rarely helpful, this one is tough to call.
Watch Manchester City vs Tottenham – as it happened live
Teams:
Man City: Fulop; Zabaleta, Toure, Kompany, Bridge; Adam Johnson, De Jong, Barry, Bellamy; Tevez, Adebayor.
Subs: Nielsen, Richards, Onuoha, Wright-Phillips, Santa Cruz, Sylvinho, Vieira.
Tottenham: Gomes; Kaboul, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale; Crouch, Defoe.
Subs: Alnwick, Bentley, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Palacios, Gudjohnsen, Bassong.
