Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Liam Wood

Harry Kane has already warned Pep Guardiola how much Tottenham will want to beat Man City

Manchester City will be hoping that lightning does not strike twice when Harry Kane and Tottenham lace up their boots at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday night.

Following a failed pursuit to sign the England captain last summer, Kane inevitably settled the scores with a brace against the eventual Premier League champions. That came in the most dramatic circumstances, too, as both sides netted in injury-time as Tottenham won to blow the title race wide open.

Tottenham had suffered three straight defeats before their February trip to Manchester at a slightly later juncture last season, but the proverbial form book went out the window as Kane put the Londoners in front - twice - either side of a 92nd-minute Riyad Mahrez penalty that looked to have given City a point.

READ MORE: Dortmund share Bellingham update

As it transpired, Kane had the final say as Guardiola sat back and pondered what might have been, not only on the pitch but in the transfer market, as well. Fast forward 11 months and City have their own goalscoring powerhouse in Erling Haaland, while they did hold on to claim another Premier League trophy.

Still, the parallels will not be lost on Guardiola and Kane this coming Thursday night as they collide, once more, with important matters on the line - and Tottenham with their backs firmly against the wall. But what will Guardiola do to combat opponents he (infamously) previously referred to as 'the Harry Kane team'?

Reflecting on that "crazy" meeting, the City manager said: "Well it was a good game. We tried, through many sides, especially down the left. It is very difficult, they defend so narrow.

"Tottenham have a lot of quality, they give the ball to Harry Kane. They are really good up front. In the first half they have the goal and no more. In the second half they have one attack with Harry Kane at the start and they score. We try to score, but we conceded the goal in extra-time."

With the teams heading into the fixture in rather similar circumstances, Kane's assessment will tell the City boss all he needs to know about how motivated his side's opponents will be for the clash.

Kane added: "Crazy game, it showed what the Premier League is all about. For me [motivation] was the three losses in a row and we had to find a way to get our season back on track.

"Everyone worked their socks off. Me scoring the goal will get the headlines, but everyone was outstanding. We got ourselves in a position to fight for top-four, then not just losing but the way we lost [those games]. Football is about bouncing back. That showed we are fighting till the end."

Fighting will be the order of the night for both teams, once again. Similarly to last season, Tottenham have watched their Champions League pursuit falter, while City have work to do to claw back Arsenal at the top.

It turned out to plan last season. But only after some unbearable winter drama.

MORE TO READ:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.