FA Cup final-bound Manchester City will be aiming to wrap up fourth place on Tuesday and prolong Tottenham's recent wobble.
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FA Cup final-bound Manchester City will be aiming to wrap up fourth place on Tuesday and prolong Tottenham's recent wobble.
City came agonisingly close to securing UEFA Champions League football last season, only for defeat in a home date with Spurs to leave them on the outside looking in.
It appeared at one stage as though history could repeat itself this season, with the Blues having found themselves in direct competition with Tottenham once more.
Roberto Mancini's men can, however, ensure that it is they who are celebrating this term with three points at Eastlands in midweek.
The one concern for City heading into the game will be their recent record against Spurs, which does not make for impressive reading.
They have won just one of their last 15 Premier League meetings with the capital club, collecting just six points from a possible 45 during that run.
City have also failed to find the target in their last three fixtures against Tottenham.
Harry Redknapp will take heart from those statistics, especially as his Spurs side have found the going tough of late.
Just one victory has been picked up in their last nine top flight games and Liverpool's crushing 5-2 victory over Fulham on Monday saw them slip into sixth place.
It is imperative that they address that slump on Tuesday, and they will be hoping to build on a record which has seen them lose only two of their 13 away games at City during the Premier League era.
Spurs will also take heart from the fact that in Jermain Defoe they have a striker in fine goalscoring form, with the England international having netted four times in his last five starts.
Team news
Manchester City boss Mancini will make a late call on whether to include club captain Carlos Tevez in his matchday squad.
The South American was absent for the fourth game since injuring his hamstring at Liverpool when he missed Saturday's defeat at Everton, but Mancini wants Tevez to prove his fitness ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final against Stoke.
Gareth Barry is expected to be available after recovering from what Mancini described as 'a minor problem' at the weekend.
Tottenham will be without several key players for a must-win clash in the North West.
Gareth Bale (ankle), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (hamstring) and Tom Huddlestone (ankle) are out while there are doubts over Peter Crouch (back) and Luka Modric (hip).
Steven Pienaar could miss out with an ankle problem and Jonathan Woodgate (calf), Ledley King (groin), Wilson Palacios and Alan Hutton (both knee) are all unavailable.
Jermaine Jenas is also struggling to make the trip to Eastlands after suffering a thigh injury following Saturday's 1-1 draw against Blackpool.
Possible starting XIs
Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, Johnson, Barry, De Jong, Toure, Silva, Balotelli.
Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Kaboul, Lennon, Sandro, Modric, Van der Vaart, Defore, Crouch.
