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Previews: Acid tests for Spurs and City

The fixture computer has paired Spurs with champions Manchester United and City with Arsenal in two London-Manchester encounters that should give some indication of just how much progress Spurs and City have made.

Spurs face United at White Hart Lane in high spirits, having made their best start to a season for 49 years and sitting level on 12 points with Chelsea at the top of the table after winning their opening four matches.

City who, like Spurs, are one of English football's great under-achieving teams - and who have spent more than 200 million pounds in the last year trying to change that - face Arsenal at Eastlands two weeks after Arsenal's last visit to Manchester when they lost 2-1 at Old Trafford.

"Spurs will be up there pushing for the top four this campaign," he said on their website.

"Harry Redknapp is a great manager who lets his players go out and express themselves. I have a feeling that something very special could be just around the corner for Tottenham."

Redknapp captured Modric's fellow Croatian Niko Kranjcar from his old club Portsmouth on the last day of the transfer window and he will get an immediate chance to impress against United.