Manchester City will set out to make history when they travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight at 10pm for their FA Cup fourth-round clash.
Up for grabs is not only a spot in the last 16 for the defending champions, but a possible first victory over Spurs at their new stadium.
In fact, such is coach Pep Guardiola’s record at Spurs’ new ground that they’ve failed to score a single goal in five meetings at the ground across all competitions, losing all of those matches.
Guardiola and company last beat Spurs at home when Tottenham played at Wembley in 2018 - before the move to the new turf. Riyad Mahrez scored the only goal of the match in that encounter.
The last time Guardiola and his charges set foot on Spurs ground, they lost 1-0 thanks to a Harry Kane strike in February last year.
With Mahrez and Kane both having moved on, new heroes have to emerge tonight. And with Hueng-min Son at the Asia Cup, the hosts could welcome back James Maddison, who is back at training.
Of his return, coach Ange Postecoglou says: “Madders is back training with the group, which is good. He’s feeling good.”
Erling Haaland, meanwhile, is not yet ready to take the field. Haaland has missed City’s last nine matches with a foot injury.
Still, Guardiola wants goals tonight to break their Spurs droogte.
He says of their record against Tottenham: “It’s the reality, how tough it is for us [at Tottenham]. But it’s a knockout game and you have to score goals – otherwise not possible to go through.“It’s a new opportunity to break it [the drought]...”
WEEKEND’S OTHER FA CUP FIXTURES
Today: Chelsea v Aston Villa (9.45pm), Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City, Bristol City v Forest (all 9.45pm).
Saturday: Ipswich Town v Maidstone United (2.30pm), Leeds v Plymouth Argyle, Leicester City v Birmingham, Sheffield United v Brighton, Everton v Luton Town (all 5pm), Fulham v Newcastle (10pm).
Sunday: West Brom v Wolves (1.45pm), Watford v Southampton (4pm), Liverpool v Norwich (4.30pm), Newport v Manchester United (6.30pm).
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