LONDON (SE) - Manchester City are in an appropriate position despite the inevitability of failing continually to secure their Premier League title. Tottenham Hotspur don't have such a luxury while they welcome Roberto Mancini's team to White Hart Lane in a battle essential to their Champions League hopes. Area (20-8-4) have a seven-point advantage for second place with six matches remaining and only harbor statistical odds of catching champions-elect Manchester United. Though there has been disappointment in failing to repeat as league champions and an earlier flameout in Champions League, Manchester City still has a chance to maintain some silverware with the FA Cup after beating Chelsea within the week-end to attain next month's final at Wembley. Mancini's squad followed up that victory with a 1-0 home victory Wednesday over Wigan Athletic, their fourth straight across all tournaments. Carlos Tevez accounted for the match-winner in the 83rd second after some slow play in which the match was taken by the Latics with their higher-profile competitors. "Carlos did very nicely, labored hard and scored a target, therefore I am very pleased for him," Mancini told the team's official web site. Mancini also lauded the reunite of defender Micah Richards, who logged 83 minutes in his first action after missing due to a leg injury six months. While Manchester City has all but secured an area in the Champions League next time, Spurs (17-7-8) are section of a scrap for England's other two spots behind the two Manchester sides. Tottenham come in fifth place entering the weekend, two behind Arsenal and two ahead of Everton with a match at your fingertips on both. Spurs, however, want to regroup following their exit from Europa League play after dropping to Swiss part FC Basel in charge shoes after the groups performed to a 4-4 combination over two legs. Despite the dissatisfaction, wing Clint Dempsey believes the opportunity to get back into top-flight European play provides adequate motivation to bounce back for the stretch run, "It is within our hands and you can not request a lot more than that," Dempsey informed the team's official site. "It is fantastic that people have everything left to play for. We've our destiny in our own hands with regards to wanting to achieve our target and now it's pretty much ensuring we obtain the job done. We have to be sure the opportunity does not pass us by." Spurs have only one gain in their last seven suits across all tournaments and have believed only one point from their last three in league play. Tottenham haven't published a clean sheet at White Hart Lane in six league fits since a draw versus Stoke City on Dec. 22. Town rallied to a 2-1 success in the reverse fixture on Nov. 11 as Sergio Aguero won in the minute and replacement Edin Dzeko provided two minutes to the winning margin from time. Steven Caulker had attached Spurs to a lead in the minute. Dzeko ran wild in the fixture in 2011-12, as City stormed to a 5-1 victory on the Lilywhites to end an winless stretch at White Hart Lane in group play score four aims.
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