Man City v Tottenham EFL Cup final special bets and tips

Free football tips, analysis and best special bets for Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final on Sunday

Best bets

R Sterling man of the match
1pt 8-1 bet365

S Reguilon first player to be carded
1pt 11-1bet365, Betfred

Verdict

Pep Guardiola has the luxury of coaching the strongest squad in the Premier League and is poised to make a few changes for Sunday's EFL Cup final against Tottenham.

Raheem Sterling is among the players eager to return to City's starting line-up and despite a recent dip in performance his chances of shining are strong enough to warrant backing the striker at 8-1 to be named man of the match.

The Wembley showpiece will be a huge occasion for interim Tottenham manager Ryan Mason, who will select his strongest team in an effort to land a trophy in his first week in the job.

However, Guardiola may seek to protect a few of the players he has pencilled in to start next Wednesday's Champions League semi-final clash at Paris St-Germain.

And that could open the door for Sterling, who scored the most recent of his 13 goals this season in February's 1-0 success over Arsenal at the Emirates.

Despite Sterling's struggles he retains the trust of Guardiola, who played him for the full 90 minutes in the recent losses to Leeds (1-2) and Chelsea (0-1).

And if the 26-year-old features at Wembley he could expose Tottenham's weaknesses in the full back positions.

Serge Aurier and Sergio Reguilon are decent going forward but susceptible to losses of concentration and Sterling should get opportunities, whether he features on the right or the left of City's attack.

Guardiola has plenty of potential match-winners to choose from and, although Kevin De Bruyne is back in training, he may stick with Phil Foden, who was superb during Wednesday's 2-1 success at Aston Villa.

Foden's start at Villa Park was his first in four domestic matches but he never seems to let City down and joins De Bruyne at the top of the man-of-the-match betting.

Bernardo Silva also had a decent game at Villa Park – setting up both goals – and has assisted six Premier League goals since the turn of the year.

The Portuguese gets a tempting 10-1 quote, although his work often goes unnoticed and he hasn't got on the scoresheet in his last nine appearances.

Tottenham's chances of winning are heavily dependent on the fitness of Harry Kane, who is the shortest-priced man-of-the-match contender for the Londoners.

The England captain has helped himself to 21 Premier League goals and 13 assists although he hasn't found the net in his last eight appearances against City.

From a defensive perspective Spurs rely a lot on the destructive qualities of holding midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who tops the first-card market at 13-2.

However, the Dane is usually clever with the nature and timing of indiscretions and often waits until the later stages of games before showing his cynical side.

Spurs left back Reguilon is less experienced and may get caught up in the heat of the moment.

The 24-year-old was booked in the first half of Tottenham's recent derby defeats at West Ham and Arsenal and could be the first man to enter referee Paul Tierney's notebook.

Not got a bet365 account? Sign up today and get up to £100 in bet credits

Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport