Head-to-Head: Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City) vs Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur)
22 November 2015 - Barclays Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham - Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring the 2nd goal - Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.
It’s second vs fourth in the Premier League title race at the Etihad in Sunday’s late game, with both sides playing catch-up to Leicester City, and this clash is likely to be one of the decisive games in the run-in.
Nicolas Otamendi has endured a difficult time in Manchester since his big-money transfer from Valencia last summer.
The £32 million man has been regularly criticised in recent weeks, but manager Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping the Argentine defender has a more convincing performance against an in-form Harry Kane.
In contrast, Alderweireld has been one of the signings of the season for Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
He has brought a new-found defensive solidity to a Spurs side often considered soft. The Belgian has been an ever-present as the North Londoners have conceded a league-low 19 goals in 25 games this season.
He will once again need to be on the top of his game if he is to contain the red-hot Sergio Agüero.
Both sides know the importance of this fixture and they won’t want to give anything away – both centre-halves will need to have a good game at the Etihad on Sunday.
We compare how the summer signings’ have fared in the Premier League this season…
