Manchester City are serial winners in the world of modern football, and this weekend, they have yet another chance to add to their trophy case, as they take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium. With the Premier League trophy firmly set in their sights, as well as the Champions League, following the victory over Dortmund, Pep Guardiola’s side will be eyeing up a treble this season. Meanwhile, Spurs, now under the management of Ryan Mason, will be looking to claim their first piece of silverware since 2008, when they beat Chelsea in the final of the same competition (then called the Carling Cup, of course). Guardiola and his side have the obvious advantage of having experience in cup finals, having won the previous three finals of this competition, so they know what it takes to get the job done – from both a psychological view as well as a physical one. However, fresh off a debut win under new boss Mason, Spurs will take great momentum and possibly a fresh tactical approach into the final. In this tactical preview, we will look at some of the key tactical aspects of Manchester City from recent weeks; how they find so much success in possession and how their defensive unit compliments that. We will also take a look at the Spurs – their defensive issues that once again were on display against Southampton in the week – there will also be a scope on the attacking methods used by Mason in that same game, as we look to identify the key elements that will be effective against Guardiola’s side.
Team News & Predicted Line-ups
Going into the final, Tottenham have three notable absentees in Matt Doherty, Ben Davies – who have both already missed four games as a result, and finally, Harry Kane (there is an outside chance that Kane features, though). The England striker, who has 21 goals and 13 assists this season, is instrumental to any approach Spurs take in attack, so finding a solution to this may lie with the hugely talented Heung-min Son. Meanwhile, Guardiola has selection issues of his own as midfielders Kevin De Bruyne may miss the final through an injury he picked up in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea (he also missed City’s midweek game against Aston Villa) – so the Belgian’s availability is up in the air at the time of writing. Experienced striker Sergio Agüero is unlikely to be fit too, as he was still recovering from a muscular injury the last we heard. Furthermore, John Stones is suspended after being sent off in the game against Villa.
Both sides have areas that are up for debate in terms of selection, and both sides have positions that almost pick themselves. With Tottenham, a 4-2-3-1 formation is likely, with the trusty duo of Höjbjerg and Ndombélé providing protection to the back four. The debatable area for Spurs is how they set up in attack. Against Southampton, Mason deployed Son on the left-wing, with Lucas Moura as the number 9. However, there is the possibility of shaking things up a little, allowing Son to play central, with Bale and Bergwijn on the flanks.
Guardiola will likely send his team out in a 4-3-3 shape, with Laporte probably coming in next to Dias to replace John Stones. Cancelo is an option at right-back that could be deployed, but we believe Pep will place his trust in the experience and pace of Kyle Walker. Phil Foden has impressed a lot of people this season, and one admirable asset of his game is his versatility – whether he’s playing on either flank or as a central midfielder, he is a threat. We think he may start in a midfield role next to Gundogan, allowing Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva to come in on the flanks.
