Khusanov and “Manchester City” face “Tottenham” in crucial EPL clash

On February 27 at 00:30 Tashkent time, Tottenham Hotspur will host Manchester City in the marquee clash of the 27th round of the English Premier League. This match marks the final fixture of February—a particularly challenging month for Pep Guardiola’s side.  

                                        Significance of the match

"Manchester City", who suffered a tough home defeat against "Liverpool" in the previous round, will look to bounce back as they visit "Tottenham". A victory in this match could propel Guardiola’s team back to fourth place in the Premier League standings. "Chelsea"'s emphatic 4-0 victory over "Southampton" on February 25 saw them climb to fourth place with 46 points. Currently, "Manchester City" sits in fifth place with 44 points, making this encounter crucial for their top-four aspirations.

 "Tottenham", meanwhile, finds itself in 13th place with 33 points after 27 matches. The London club is struggling, with key player absences significantly impacting results. Despite this downturn, head coach Ange Postecoglou has retained his position, but the match against "Manchester City" could be decisive for his future.  

                                     Khusanov expected to start  

Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who joined "Manchester City" during the winter transfer window, has quickly earned the trust of Guardiola and the club's supporters. His strong performances against "Real Madrid" in the Champions League and "Liverpool" in the Premier League have increased his chances of starting in London. Notably, "Sofascore" awarded him a 7.2 rating for his display against Liverpool.  

                                              Predicted line-ups  

Football analytics platforms "OneFootball", "Opta", and "Sporting News" have released their predicted starting lineups for the match:  

"One Football"’s predicted lineups:
"Tottenham": Vicario, Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence, Bentancur, Bergvall, Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson, Son.  
"Manchester City": Ederson, Nunes, Khusanov, Aké, Gvardiol, Rodri, De Bruyne, Kovačić, Foden, Doku, Álvarez.  

"Opta"’s predicted lineups:

"Tottenham": Vicario, Spence, Gray, Danso, Udogie, Bentancur, Bergvall, Kulusevski, Johnson, Son, Tell.  

"Manchester City": Ederson, Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodri, Gündoğan, Savinho, Foden, Haaland, Álvarez.  

"Sporting News"’ predicted lineups:
 "Tottenham": Vicario, Spence, Gray, Danso, Udogie, Bentancur, Bergvall, Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson, Son.  
"Manchester City": Ederson, Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodri, Kovačić, Savinho, Doku, Álvarez, Haaland.  

All three publications include Khusanov in "Manchester City"’s starting lineup**, highlighting his growing influence in the squad. However, the final decision will ultimately be made by Pep Guardiola.