Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for this Premier League clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. This fixture has been one of the most goal-laden in Premier League history over recent years and, with not too much on the line for either side, we should be in for another entertaining clash at White Hart Lane today. Let's start with a look at the hosts...

Spurs come into this match having enjoyed an up-and-down season during Mauricio Pochettino's first campaign at the helm, but ultimately it looks like they will once again miss out on Champions League football. Their cause was certainly helped by Manchester United falling to a third consecutive defeat last night, but with Liverpool in a better position, it would take a series of results to go their way for Spurs to creep into the top four.

Victory today would close the gap to four points, however, and that is certainly not an unassailable gap with three matches of the season remaining, particularly with Manchester United in poor form. Indeed, Spurs have been fortunate that the teams around them have faltered of late, with Southampton missing the chance to move seventh yesterday and Liverpool winning for the first time in three league games late against QPR.

Tottenham's form has not been much better though, it must be said. Inconsistency has plagued the North Londoners in recent weeks, with two wins, two draws and two defeats from their last six outings. They only won one of their four matches in April and have triumphed just four times in their last 13 games in all competitions, which isn't good enough for a side chasing the Champions League places. Had the teams around them in table also not slipped up recently, Spurs could have been cut adrift by now.

They are still in the race, however, and United's defeat yesterday places more importance on this game than perhaps the hosts would have been expecting. Even if they do fall short of the Champions League places, as is expected, they will want to pressure on Liverpool in fifth over the closing weeks of the campaign. After today they have Stoke (away) Hull (home) and Everton (away) to come, so they will be confident of picking up a few more points between now and the end of the season.

In all likelihood, Spurs will need to wait until next season to launch another assault on the top four, but chief amongst Pochettino's priorities this summer will have to be his defence. No team has conceded more goals in the top half than Spurs, with their 49 goal against being a whopping 21 more than Southampton behind them in the table. Only six teams have conceded more in the entire division which, when you consider Spurs' aims for the season, is a fairly damning statistic.

Two more goals came last time out against Southampton as Tottenham shared four at St Mary's, playing out a 2-2 draw. That was a better point for Spurs than it was for the Saints, and Pochettino would have been particularly pleased with the fighting spirit shown by his side. They twice came from behind to get the draw, rescuing yet another point from a losing position this season. For all Tottenham's inconsistency this season, they have rarely lacked character.

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Interestingly, Spurs are the first team this season to have three different players reach double figures for goals in the Premier League, with Chadli joining Eriksen and Kane with his goal against Southampton last time out. Kane has certainly shouldered the main goalscoring responsibility, but Eriksen has provided able back-up, while Chadli did the same in the first half of the season especially. It is at the other end of the pitch where the problems lie, with Spurs keeping just one clean sheet in their last 11 league games.

Man City will certainly fancy their chances of getting some goals today, then, but the visitors come into this match with troubles of their own. Their title defence, like last time, has been something of an anti-climax, and they will be officially dethroned as champions today if Chelsea beat Crystal Palace. Jose Mourinho's side are currently leading 1-0 with only a couple of minutes left, so that very much looks like being the case this afternoon.

It really has been a poor title defence from City, with their second half of the season being particularly disappointing. They will level on points with Chelsea at the turn of the year but, should the Blues hold out against Palace, would start today's match 16 points adrift of the champions-elect. It has been a poor collapse and the club is likely to undergo a summer of change. Even if Pellegrini stays, which is far from a certainty, the squad is ageing and there needs to be a significant overhaul of players over the next two or three years.

They have been some way short of Chelsea this season, despite drawing level with them at one stage and looking like they might put up a good fight in the defence of their title. They have only won six of their last 17 matches in all competitions, however, which is simply not good enough for a side that should be chasing honours on all fronts. That run is six in their last 14 in the league and, perhaps more worryingly, they have lost four of their last eight.

It is not only their Premier League title defence that could contribute to Pellegrini losing his job this summer. A trophyless season may be reluctantly accepted considering they won two trophies last season, with City still on course to get five pieces of silverware in five years as the plan demanded. However, they have shown a real lack of progress this season, something that has been particularly evident in Europe. They were perhaps unfortunate to be drawn against Barcelona, but those two matches showcased just how far they still are from Europe's elite.

Bad news for City as their reign as champions officially comes to an end. Chelsea have seen out their 1-0 triumph over Crystal Palace to clinch the Premier League title with three games to spare, meaning that City will begin their match today as the former champions of England. No-one can argue that Chelsea don't deserve it this season, even if they have lacked a little bit of style over the second half of the campaign.

The biggest concern for City at the moment, particularly ahead of this match, will be their away form. They have incredibly lost their last four league games on the road, and another defeat today would see them beaten five times on the bounce for the first time since April 2006. In all competitions they have already reached that tally of five away defeats in a row, while they have only won one of their last eight. Even so, only two teams have picked up more points on the road in the top flight this season.

They have shipped a lot of goals in recent weeks too, with eight coming in their last four matches, including four against neighbours Manchester United at Old Trafford. Two more came against Aston Villa last time out as Man City scraped a 3-2 victory courtesy of Fernandinho's late winner. Manuel Pellegrini's side had squandered a two-goal lead, but just about spared their blushes late on against Tim Sherwood's relegation-threatened team.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the headline news is that Fernandinho, fresh from that winner against Villa, starts in place of the injured Yaya Toure for the visitors. James Milner also comes into the starting XI as Pellegrini makes two changes, while Spurs only make the one. That sees Danny Rose replace Ben Davies at left-back, with Kane leading the line as ever for the hosts. Full teams for both sides coming right up...

TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris; Dier, Fazio, Vertonghen, Rose; Bentaleb, Mason; Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane

TOTTENHAM SUBS: Vorm, Chiriches, Yedlin, Paulinho, Stambouli, Adebayor, Soldado

MAN CITY STARTING XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Demichelis, Mangala, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Fernando, Milner, Lampard, Silva; Aguero

MAN CITY SUBS: Caballero, Sagna, Boyata, Clichy, Nasri, Dzeko, Bony

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, Pochettino has opted for just the one change from the side that drew 2-2 with Southampton, and even that is an enforced one as Davies, who dislocated his shoulder against the Saints and will miss the rest of the season, is replaced by Rose. Rose himself has been struggling with a hamstring problem in recent weeks, but he has been deemed fit enough to start, which is a timely boost for the hosts.

Harry Kane leads the line for Spurs, with the new England international having been named Young Player of the Year for his magnificent campaign this season. He has 20 Premier League goals to his name and 30 in all competitions, but will be lining up against his biggest rival for the golden boot in the form of Sergio Aguero today. Winning that award would just cap off a dream breakthrough season for Kane, but it will be interesting to see if he can be quite as prolific next term.

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Eriksen has also been a key player for Spurs this season, though, scoring a league-high seven winning goals for his side, many of which have come late in games. As mentioned earlier, he and Chadli have both reached double figures, which is a huge help for a side who only really have one goal-getting striker in the squad. Kane has more often than not done the business for Spurs this season but, should he have an off day, they do have a midfield who can weigh in with the goals too.

That description doesn't really apply to the holding duo of Mason and Bentaleb, but they have both enjoyed fine breakthrough campaigns themselves this season. Mason, like Kane, has worked his way into the England squad with his performances, while Bentaleb is now the club's first-choice holding midfielder, ousting the likes of Stambouli and big-money signing Paulinho. Dier has also been a new, young addition that has done quite well this season, so the future certainly looks bright for Spurs.

As for City, youth is something they crave at the moment, with their squad getting on in years an in need of refreshing. Their big signing last summer for Mangala, but the centre-back is yet to really establish himself in the Premier League and has not yet proved that he is worth the substantial fee City paid for him. He and Demichelis again start at centre-back today due to the continued absence of Kompany through injury, and Kane will be confident of getting at that duo.

At the other end of the field, there is no doubting who City's dangerman is, with Aguero starting to hit top form again after a recent lull. He went five games without scoring but now has four in his last three games to take his tally for the season up to 27 in all competitions. A league-high 21 of those have come in the top flight, while he has had a direct hand in 27 goals from his 29 games in the Premier League this season, scoring 21 and assisting six. He also have nine goals in his last six games against Spurs, including all four in the reverse fixture.

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Silva will be the main man looking to create chances for Aguero today, but there is also another start for Lampard as he enters the final straight of his Premier League career. It is unsure quite how many more matches he will start this season, but should this be his last, it would be fitting if he were to score. He has been a fabulous servant to the Premier League, and both him and Gerrard leaving in the summer marks an end of an era in England's top flight.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes away from kickoff at White Hart Lane, which means that it is time for a prediction! This fixture always provides plenty of entertainment and goals and, with neither side having too much to fight for now, hopefully we will see more of the same today. City's recent away record is woeful, but they usually get the better of Spurs, so this one it a tough one to call. I'm going to go down the middle, however, and plump for a 2-2 draw.

You can see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this match in our video preview of the game below:

City have had the better of this fixture in recent seasons, winning seven of the last eight meetings in the Premier League and scoring a whopping 15 in their last three. That includes 6-0, 5-1 and 4-1 victories, so Spurs' first task today is not to be on the end of yet another drubbing. I mentioned earlier that this has been a goal-laden fixture in recent seasons, and that is certainly the case, with 35 being scored in the last seven meetings. Both sides have scored in six of those games too, with the only exception being City's 6-0 triumph.

The reverse fixture this season was one of the most memorable matches of the campaign as four penalties were awarded in a game for only the second time in Premier League history. Only two of those were scored, both by Aguero on his way to a four-goal haul as City ran out 4-1 victors at the Etihad. Eriksen got Tottenham's goal, but it was a miserable day for the capital club as they missed a penalty and had a man sent off.

The players are out and we're just two minutes away from kickoff at the Etihad now as City prepare for their first match as former champions having been dethroned by Chelsea earlier today. The hosts can at least strengthen their claim for second place with victory here.

KICKOFF: City get us underway at a sunny Etihad Stadium as they look to make it three wins in a row, even if they are bound to be deflated having seen their title officially taken from their grasp today.

CHANCE! Good chance for Spurs to break forward early on as Chadli strides down the left flank with no blue shirts ahead of him. He has Lamela in acres of space in the middle, but Kolarov makes a vital interception. The resulting corner finds Dier in acres of space, but he plants his header wide of the target when he really should have scored. That is a really good chance.

CHANCE! Another glorious chance for Spurs as they win the ball in midfield before releasing Kane. It is far too easy for the striker to get in behind the defence but, with only Hart to beat, he drills an effort a yard or so past the far post. That is a second big let-off for City in these opening exchanges.

What a bright start to the match this has been for Spurs. They really should be ahead already, but City have survived so far and are now beginning to ease themselves into the game a little. They are still looking bare at the back, however.

City have been a little sloppy in possession so far, with Tottenham looking a lot more assured on the ball in the opening exchanges. The hosts are bypassing the City midfield far too easily, with Mangala and Demichelis being left exposed on a few occasions already.

City have a half chance to break clear as they get the ball forward quickly to Aguero, who finds himself up against two white shirts. Rose gets an important foot in, but a mix-up between Vertonghen and Lloris encourages the striker to keep chasing, and he wins a throw-in for his side in a good position.

CLOSE! What a goal this would have been! Kolarov swings a beauty of a first-time cross towards the back post and Aguero meets it with one of the sweetest volleys you will see all season. He could not have struck it much better, but his vicious effort swings a couple of yards high and wide of the target.

City are starting to threaten more now and Milner is the latest to get in behind the Spurs defence, reaching the byline down the right channel before drilling a low cross into the box. Lloris gets down well to deal with it, however.

Spurs fail to completely deal with the resulting corner as the ball is lifted back into the box following Lloris's punch. Aguero sees an effort blocked, but the bouncing loose ball falls to Lampard, who skews his effort over the top.

SHOT! Spurs win a throw in an advanced position and take it quickly, with City very slow to get organised in defence. That allows Kane to turn towards goal and get a shot away, but his curling effort from 25 yards is always going wide.

Almost a glorious chance for Kane as he steals a yard off the defender to get on the end of a curling cross behind the defence. He can't convert, but it wouldn't have counted anyway as the flag was rightly raised for offside.

Spurs are looking the more dangerous when they come forward at the moment, but City are also carrying a threat through Aguero. It has been an entertaining opening 20 minutes or so, but still no goals for either side.

CHANCE! Oh my word, almost a shocker from Lloris as he comes a long way off his line to sweep the ball up, only to slip and seemingly send Aguero through with an open goal to aim at. However, the Argentine takes a tumble inside the box before he can slide the ball into the empty net, but the referee says no penalty. Vertonghen certainly clipped Aguero there, and the visitors should have had a penalty and possibly a red card for the Spurs defender.

SHOT! Spurs respond with a shooting chance of their own as Kane chases a ball down the channel before feeding it back to keep the move alive. It eventually arrives to Bentaleb, but he slices a wild effort wide of the near post.

Spurs are seeing plenty of the ball at the moment and, of the two sides, it is the hosts who look most like scoring at the moment. Lamela and Chadli have been bright, while Kane's eagerness to chase everything is making life difficult for the City defenders.

Eriksen floats a good ball over the full-back to the overlapping run of Rose, who takes the ball down well inside the box but then sees his effort blocked. Moments later, Dier latches on to a deep cross at the back post, but he too sees his strike blocked.

Out of nowhere and against the run of play, Manchester City take the lead at White Hart Lane! It is a clinical counter-attacking from the visitors as Silva carries the ball forward before sliding it through for Aguero, whose movement leaves the Spurs defenders in his dust. He collects the ball with only Lloris to beat and proceeds to lash his effort into the near top corner.

CHANCE! Spurs go in search of an immediate reply and again they cause problems from a set piece as Fazio rises unmarked inside the box. He can't get enough on his header, however, glancing his effort wide of the target when he probably should have done better.

CHANCE! Huge chance for City to double their lead as Fernandinho races onto loose ball on the edge of the box after Spurs have failed to adequately clear their lines. The midfield looks to pass his effort into the bottom corner, but Rose makes a crucial block to prevent the ball from nestling into the back of the net.

Half a chance for Lampard as he breaks forward from midfield and is the only blue shirt in the box to get on the end of a cross from the left. He can't get enough on his header, however, looping an effort into the arms of Lloris.

This has been an enjoyable and open match so far, with Spurs seeing plenty of the ball and asking a few questions in attack, but City always dangerous on the break. The visitors aren't threatening too much when not counter-attacking, but Aguero's pace will always be a good weapon on the break.

Pochettino will be fairly happy with his side's general performance so far, but it is just that Aguero strike on the break that is making this an unsatisfactory half so far. Aside from that, Spurs have probably been the better team here.

SAVE! Aguero is just a constant danger when he gets on the ball. He picks it up on the left side this time before dipping inside and getting a low shot away which Lloris has to save to his left.

CHANCE! Tottenham's only star striker Kane looks to keep up with Aguero in the scoring charts as the ball bounces nicely for him to have a shot at goal. He strikes his half-volley well, but it is straight at Hart, who makes the save.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the afternoon is shown to Milner, who tripped Rose after being dispossessed by the full-back.

CHANCE! Big chance for City, and again it comes on the break. Aguero is the danger man again, leading the charge before finding Silva on the left. The Spaniard slips a pass inside for Fernandinho, who runs onto the ball invitingly but drills his effort wide. The referee then shows a yellow card to Bentaleb for a foul on Aguero in the build-up.

CHANCE! Oh my word, what a chance for Spurs to level things at the end of this first half! A cross arrives into the box and finds Mason unmarked in a superb position having just about beating the offside trap. The defenders are looking around for a flag, but Hart doesn't wait for that and smothers the midfielder's eventual effort.

Spurs continue to apply the pressure at the end of this first half and Bentaleb rises to meet a corner, but he can't steer his header on target having got ahead of his man.

YELLOW CARD! Mason becomes the third Spurs player in the book in this first half, but this is a harsh one. He looked to get the ball when sliding in on Fernandinho, but Andre Marriner saw it differently and brandishes the card.

Manchester City go into the break with the lead at White Hart Lane, then, but Spurs can feel happy with their first-half display on the whole. The visitors took the lead against the run of play having seen their Premier League crown taken from the grasp earlier today, but this one is still very much up for grabs.

Predictably it was Aguero who got the goal, with the Argentine capping off a ruthless counter-attack with an emphatic finish into the top corner. It was Silva who created the chance, sliding his pass inside for the Argentine, who slammed his finish into the near top corner. Lloris perhaps committed himself too early, but there wasn't much he could have done to stop the effort.

There has been no shortage of chances at either end of the field, and in truth it is something of a surprise that there was only one goal in the first half. City should have had a penalty when Vertonghen clipped Aguero after a slip from Lloris had left the Argentine with an empty goal to aim at and, while it was not intentional, it should have been a red card for the Tottenham defender too. Andre Marriner somehow didn't even award a foul, however.

Spurs have had plenty of chances themselves, however, and they made a blistering start to the match. They could have and probably should have been ahead inside five minutes, with Dier and Kane both squandering really good chances for the hosts in the opening exchanges. Mason also had a golden opportunity at the end of the half having beaten the offside trap, but Hart made a big save to thwart the midfielder.

Spurs have threatened with corners on a number of occasions, with Fazio also coming close in addition to Dier's early chance. Fernandinho have missed a couple of chances from the edge of the box too, however, so City have by no means stolen this lead at the break. We are poised for another entertaining 45 minutes here.

KICKOFF: Spurs get us back underway for the second half as they look to recover from their 1-0 deficit at the break.

Vital interception from Mangala as he stretches out a leg to prevent Dier's cross from reaching Kane, although it wouldn't have counted even if it had reached the striker as the offside flag was up. Mangala wasn't to know that, though.

City have seen more of the ball at the start of this second half, which is exactly what they needed to do. They never had a great degree of control over the first half, but they are just starting to get that now.

Spurs have a chance to make a quick break as they win possession and immediately pounce on the front foot. A number of white shirts are forward in attack, but they don't have the same impact as City had earlier and the break eventually fizzles out as Kane puts his effort over the top.

The second half feels just as open as the first, which is good news for the neutrals. Both sides look capable of scoring when they come forward, although we are yet to see a chance at either end of the field since the interval.

Half a chance for City as a corner arrives to Aguero in a couple of yards of space at the back post. He opts to take a touch, and his control isn't the best, which allows Spurs to close him down. The ball eventually breaks to Lampard, but his shot is blocked.

Another decent opening for Aguero as he gets in behind the defence down the right channel. He looks up for support but then sees his cross blocked, forcing him to cut inside and go for goal himself. Once again, he sees his effort stopped by a defender, though.

TOTTENHAM SUB: The first change of the day comes from the hosts as Eriksen departs to be replaced by Roberto Soldado, who missed a penalty in the reverse fixture.

CHANCE! Big chance for Kane to grab an equaliser as he chases down Demichelis, who does nowhere near enough to deal with the danger. Suddenly Kane finds himself with only Hart to beat, but the England number one is quickly out and forces Kane to cut back on himself. The striker does eventually work a yard to shoot, but his effort is crucially blocked.

CHANCE! Oh my word, what a chance for City to double their lead at the other end. It is wonderful football from City as Aguero drops the ball back to Fernandinho, who dinks a lovely pass into the area to find the Argentine again. Aguero's first touch takes him beyond Lloris, but he can't wrap his foot around the ball to turn it into the empty net. That would have been some goal!

Quite how this game still only has one goal I'm not sure. Both sides have created some glorious chances and really should scored on more than on occasion, with the teams sharing 26 shots already. As it stands, though, Aguero's first-half strike is the difference.

Almost a chance for Zabaleta as Vertonghen only half clears the ball, sending it straight to the right-back inside the area. The Spurs defender atones for his error, however, making an important block to stop the subsequent effort.

YELLOW CARD! Zabaleta goes into the book for a late sliding challenge on Chadli, and he can have no complaints. It was mistimed rather than malicious, but there is no doubt that it was a booking.

Shooting opportunity for Milner as a cross from the left is too far in front of Aguero's acrobatic effort and arrives to the England international outside the box. He lines up his effort, but his low strike is blocked before it can reach Lloris.

Soldado is inches away from making contact with a good ball from Dier, who swung a cross towards the front post. The Spaniard beats the offside trap, but just can't connect with the ball.

TOTTENHAM SUB: The hosts make another chance as Paulinho replaces Mason for the final 20 minutes.

SAVE! It would take some strike to beat Lloris from pushing 30 yards, but Kolarov almost manages it here. He hammers a long-range effort towards goal and the ball is swerving all over the place, forcing Lloris to just tip it over the bar rather than trying to catch it.

MAN CITY SUB: The visitors make their first change of the afternoon as Lampard is taken off in place of Samir Nasri.

YELLOW CARD! Kolarov is the latest name in the book having climbed all over Lamela, preventing from breaking clear.

Concern for City here as Nasri goes down clutching his ankle, and he looks to be in some pain already. He only came on a couple of minutes ago, but may be forced to depart here having picked up the injury when trying to take on Fazio inside the box.

MAN CITY SUB: Indeed, there is the change as Nasri lasts just three minutes on the field before going off to be replaced by Wilfried Bony.

CHANCE! Good chance for Spurs to get an equaliser as the ball is crossed into the box and Kane again beats the offside trap. His first touch tees up Soldado, but Kolarov is across to make a vital block from the resulting effort.

SAVE! Good football from City as they move the ball nicely, with Silva again the creator. He pokes a pass into the path of the overlapping Kolarov, who drills a low effort towards goal from a tight angle. Lloris is down quickly to make a smart stop, however.

YELLOW CARD! Uncharacteristic challenge from Silva as he dives into an untidy and wild challenge on Paulinho. He rightly enters the book as a result, while Spurs have a free kick in a decent crossing position here...

Spurs are inches away from levelling things as Paulinho nods the resulting free kick just past the post, with many inside White Hart Lane expecting the net to ripple. It wouldn't have counted anyway, though, as the flag was raised.

CHANCE! Another big chance for Spurs as they work the ball in from the right flank before Paulinho fires a loose ball towards goal, but again Hart is there to make a really smart stop.

TOTTENHAM SUB: The hosts make their third and final change of the match as Pochettino introduces a third striker, with Emmanuel Adebayor replacing Chadli.

CHANCE! It's Man City's turn to have a chance now as Milner beats his man down the right flank before pulling the ball back into the middle for Bony. The sub striker has a yard of space to get his shot away, but he fires it wide of the near post.

City were about to make their final change of the match, with Boyata preparing to come on for Aguero, but the striker stays on for a little while longer as Fernandinho receives treatment. Pellegrini will just hold off with that change now.

MAN CITY SUB: That change does eventually happen, with Aguero trotting off to be replaced by Dedryck Boyata. It is Aguero's goal which separates the sides as things stand.

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There will be a minimum of FIVE minutes added time at the end of this match! Still time for Spurs to get something from this one!

CHANCE! Big chance for Spurs to get an equaliser! It is again a cross that causes the problems, with Rose delivering the ball towards the back post. Lamela is there to get an acrobatic shot on goal, but Hart makes a fine reaction save to tip it over the top.

Spurs can't say they haven't had the chances to get something from this game. They have created numerous really good openings and really should be level at least here.

YELLOW CARD! Kane picks up a late yellow card for a rash challenge on Silva. No complaints there.

Man City hold on to the victory, then, and move three points clear of Arsenal on the day that they relinquished their hold on the Premier League table. It was a very entertaining clash with plenty of chances for either side, but ultimately it was Aguero's first-half effort that proved to be the difference.

That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for a thoroughly enjoyable clash between Spurs and Man City as the visitors end their run of four straight away defeats. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!