4th is the place to be

The race for fourth place comes down to two teams and one game. Manchester City v. Tottenham Hotspur is being touted as the most important game of the season. Both teams are going into this game on good form and should present one hell of a show. The match itself is essentially worth sixty million pounds as the one to get into the Champions League will bring huge financial power to the victor. The big question left is who will end up claiming that important qualifying place in the Champions League?

Much of the British press is backing Manchester City to pip the 4th place finish from Spurs. The match is a home game for City which is a major advantage. City enter the game with four wins, a loss and a draw in their last six while Spurs come in with four wins and two losses, both teams losing to Manchester United. But are City really the favorites? Even the betting seems to favor City to win this Wednesday. But I think a number of factors are being ignored.

In City's favor is that it is uncertain whether Spurs keeper Gomes will play a factor. Gomes has been key to the victories against Arsenal and Chelsea and would have been tipped for another stellar performance against city. Additionally, Aaron Lennon may be back back, but may not start, and even if he does, there is no guarantee he will be on form.

For Spurs, The big positive is the addition of Gareth Bale. His pace is only bettered by Lennon in the Spurs squad and his ball control is nearly level with the right winger as well. Bale's true incentive is that though he is not the best defender, he adds a bit of defensive steel to the Spurs left side as he is a serviceable defender and allows Assou-Ekotto to remain more in defense. After the terror that Lennon caused in the first match, I think it is naive to ignore the return of Lennon in conjunction with Bale's inclusion on the Left. Also for Spurs, the victories over Chelsea and Arsenal, the confidence in the squad are incredibly high.

The goal keeper situations are going to be a point of interest on both sides. Manchester City are missing one of the top keepers in England in Shay Given. But in this past weekend Spurs' in form keeper Heurelho Gomes pulled up with a late groin injury. City have managed to get permission to bring Martin Fulop from Sunderland while if Gomes is unable to play this week, Harry Redknapp has already said he will not try to make an emergency signing. If Fulop is the man to win the game for City or Gomes misses the game and the keeper is at fault for a Spurs loss, there will be an uproar over the situation.

In the end, this should be an exciting game, but as a man with his Spurs shirt on, I think we'll be seeing another Spurs win. 2-0 Spurs.