Preview: Spurs v City

The trip to White Hart Lane has for many years now been an unfulfilling one. That amazing cup comeback aside, our league results there leave a lot to be desired. Five consecutive 2-1 defeats, some featuring questionable officiating decisions, and a generally horrid record; the Lilywhites love doing us over, there's no doubting that. Maybe on Wednesday we can carry on proving hard to beat against another 'rival', results against the others haven't been bad so far.

Craig Bellamy will be missing due to his ridiculous red card at Bolton on Saturday. Wayne Bridge will be out until January, and Michael Johnson the summer. Shaun Wright-Phillips is expected to be absent with an ankle injury. Nigel de Jong has been suffering with swine flu but should return. Stevie Ireland may well get another start, only his ninth of the league season thus far.

Tottenham are now relatively injury-free. Carlo Cucidini is on the long-term list after his motorbike smash, and centre-halves Woodgate and King are still just about walking. The in-form Michael Dawson will probably getting another start alongside bargain buy Sebastien Bassong. Star man Luka Modric, nearing full fitness after three months out with a broken leg, could replace Niko Kranjcar, another impressive Redknapp acquisition, must be said.

What we get from the game will probably depend which Spurs side turns up. Though we can now be a match for anyone it's no slight on ourselves to admit that Tottenham will have to be below par for us to take all three points. They're an exceptional side who play the right way and have dangerous players all over the park. They knock the ball around as good as anyone, but at the same time can trouble by being more direct, something we're still struggling with.

It's hard to pick out their danger men. For all the plaudits Lennon and Defoe get, and rightly so, in my opinion Tom Huddlestone's really been the man that's made them tick so far this season, especially in the absence of Modric. He's the main outlet forward for them and we mustn't let him settle. Elsewhere, it's also probably been pointed out in most places that we're short of a left-back against the most in-form winger around.

We spoke before the Bolton game about Hughes' options in light of Wayne's ligament injury. He decided to go with Sylvinho, to mixed results. On Wednesday i'm not sure we'll do likewise, though whoever does get the nod there will be somewhat of a concern, be it an unnatural left-back, reorganising the defence further, someone lacking match-fitness, or in the case of Javi Garrido, just being a bit rubbish.

If Shaun Wright-Phillips doesn't make it as expected i'm not sure we've much more of an option than to switch to 4-3-3 and go for broke. Bellamy will be a big miss, in both halves, i'd have preferred him to Robinho for this one, and most at the moment, particularly away from home, though whoever plays to the left will be fancied to get at Corluka, whose better work since his move appears to be work in the opposition's half than his own.

I think it threatens to be a really open and entertaining game. Both sides are keen to attack and can be unorganised at the back, both break well and have real quality, and i can see a few goals. Sick as we are of the sight of draws one here would be credible enough, and big in terms of not letting someone around us further the gap. We might have to defend like our lives depend on it, but then Wolves and Stoke have both gone there and won, and after being sure Chelsea would beat us a week last Saturday, i'm never writing us off again!

Possible teams:
Spurs: Gomes, Corluka, Assou-Ekotto, Dawson, Bassong, Palacios, Lennon, Huddlestone, Defoe, Keane, Kranjcar

City: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Toure, Lescott, de Jong, Ireland, Barry, Tevez, Adebayor, Robinho

Prediction: Spurs 2 City 2