I start to go all misty-eyed thinking about this fixture! From Spurs' 3-2 win in the 1981 FA Cup final replay, to City winning 5-1 at White Hart Lane at the start of this season - these two have played out many memorable games in my lifetime.

I'm obviously hoping that this time will be something special too, but can already sense a tension in the air around the Etihad Stadium. Roberto Mancini's almost carefree nature of the season's early weeks has given way to a sterner, card-waving persona - symptomatic of the pressure that leading the way for so long brings.

Last Monday's 1-0 win at Wigan will have brought just as much pleasure to the Italian as the win at Spurs or even the 6-1 at Old Trafford in October, because it got City back on track after a mini-wobble in the cups this month. I even heard it described as a 'Mourinho result' - and he won Premier League titles.

Harry Redknapp's never made any great play of his team's title credentials, merely answering in "why not?" fashion when the question has been posed. Currently on a run of seven league games unbeaten, if Spurs get their seventh win in 11 visits to City's 21st century home then the gap between the teams will be just two points. "Why not?" indeed.

The last two instances of this fixture have effectively been end-of-season eliminators for the final available Champions League place. They each finished 1-0, both decided by Peter Crouch goals - one in the right net, one in his own.

This time both clubs have designs on entering next season's Champions League as genuine champions.

If City maintain their 100% home league record by winning a game of this magnitude without Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure then my money's back on them. After Sunday, Sheik Mansour's got nine days left to gamble on their title bid with some real money.

Head-to-head




• Manchester City are looking to complete their first double over Spurs since 1991-92.



• Spurs have lost just two of their last 11 league visits to Manchester City (W7, D2)



• Tottenham have won 11 of the last 15 league games between the two sides, but Manchester City won the last two (1-0 in May and 5-1 in August).



Man City


• City have won all 10 home Premier League games so far this season and their last 15 in total - a club record in the top flight.



• They have scored 57 league goals so far in this campaign - three shy of their total for last season.



• Victory would be their 200th in the Premier League.



• Eden Dzeko's goal gave City victory against Wigan on Monday - City have won all nine Premier League matches in which he has scored.



• Joe Hart has kept nine clean sheets in the Premier League this season - joint highest with Swansea's Michel Vorm.



• Gael Clichy could make his 250th club start, while Adam Johnson is on the cusp of his 100th career league start.



Tottenham


• Spurs have scored in each of their last 20 Premier League matches, their best run in the top flight since November 1986-April 1987 (26 matches).



• Tottenham have drawn three of their last six league games.



• Like Manchester City, Spurs have won six away league games so far this season. Only Manchester United (7) have won more.



• Harry Redknapp has lost 21 of his 25 Premier League trips to Manchester.



• Spurs have drawn 199 games in the Premier League.