Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 8y

Manchester City's Silva, Kompany, Toure, Aguero together again vs. Spurs

MANCHESTER -- Manuel Pellegrini is hoping his own fab four can fire Manchester City to the Premier League title.

Fit-again Vincent Kompany could line up alongside Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure for the first time since August after the city captain recovered from a calf injury that has kept him out of action for most of the last three months.

The quartet played together in the first four games of the season and City won them all -- scoring 10 goals without conceding. They are also all vastly experienced in knowing how to win titles having been mainstays in the club's two Premier League triumphs in 2011-12 and 2013-14.

Pellegrini is relieved to have them all back for for Sunday's crucial clash with second-placed Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad.

The City boss told a news conference: "It's important to have our important players all of them together. We start the season with Vincent, Silva, Toure and Aguero all of them playing in the first four games. After that, for different reasons, this is the first time they will play again together."

Kompany has endured a frustrating season with a persistent calf strain that has meant he has started just four Premier League games since those opening four fixtures.

He has twice suffered recurrences of the injury and Pellegrini is hoping the Belgium international has now made a full recovery.

"It's always important to have our best players 100 percent fit to play," he said. "It's very important to have all of them together and after that it's important that, as a team, we have a good performance because maybe you are coming from an injury but maybe you are not 100 percent in your best performance.

"It's impossible to know [if he will have any more setbacks] but he's working without any problems, without fear, so it would be bad luck if he has another injury."

City are six points behind leaders Leicester City, who play third-placed Arsenal on Sunday, in what could be a pivotal weekend at the top.

Tottenham go into the game as the form side having won their last six games in all competitions and Pellegrini is impressed with them and their manager Mauricio Pochettino.

"What I think about Tottenham is not just the last six games -- the whole season they are doing very well," he said.

"It doesn't matter, I always say in football, what you do in the past. The important thing is we know we have to play a strong team here at home and the important thing is to try and be at the same level.

"Pochettino is doing very good work in Tottenham. He did it also before in Southampton. I worked with him also when both of us were in the Spanish league, he was in Espanyol.

"He is a young manager. I think he is doing very well and also plays an attractive football that, for me, is very important."

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