Do Manchester City Need Samir Nasri Next Season?

Manchester City finished off their trophy-less 2014/15 season with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Southampton at the Etihad Stadium last Sunday.

Aguero winning the Golden Boot was 'the' highlight of City's season

Sergio Aguero won the Premier League Golden Boot, his first since moving from Atletico Madrid in 2011, for scoring 26 goals in a Barclays Premier League campaign that saw Man. City finish in second place.

Joe Hart bagged the Golden Glove award, his 3rd in the last four seasons, for keeping more cleansheets (14) than any other goalkeeper in the English top-flight.

Those two individual awards, albeit not significant in the grand scheme of things, are a reminder of the kind of players City have at their disposal and that there have been a few positives to come out of a season which simply didn't go to plan for the Sky Blues.

City crashed out of both the Capital One and FA Cup competitions at a very early stage, losing to Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, respectively, at their Etihad fortress. They couldn't breach the 'Barcelona barrier' either, losing 1-3 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League R-16 for the second season in succession.

Throughout the season that has just finished, there were talks of the City squad requiring a major surgery, replacing the older legs - Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko, Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy, to name a few - with young, energetic and world class players of the calibre of Paul Pogba, Kevin de Bruyne, Roberto Firmino, Layvin Kurzawa and of late, Raheem Sterling.

Samir Nasri, albeit not in the age categories of the Toures, Kolarovs and Dzekos and who only signed a 5-year contract at the beginning of last season, is another City player alleged to be on his way out of the Etihad.

It was also reported that he had an altercation with Manuel Pellegrini, who dropped him from City's starting XI after a string of poor performances during the late February-early March period, with Nasri making only four substitute appearances thereafter.

In this article, let us get an idea of what the Frenchman did in an injury-hit season, and whether he could get the axe from City's squad for next season.

Read on...

The Frenchman has traveled with the City squad for their tour of North America

Nasri only made 32 appearances across all competitions for the Cityzens in the 14/15 season, suffering injuries - a couple of groin and one calf - on three different occasions, that affected him from replicating the wonderful form he showed in Pellegrini's first season in-charge of the club.

Calling it a bad season for Nasri, however, doesn't make sense if you go by the stats that clearly demonstrate the Frenchman's contribution to City whenever he played.

As an attacking-midfielder or inside forward, the 27-year old, in the season that has just finished, completed 90% of his attempted passes, which was the most by any City attacker, in 24 Premier League appearances.

Not only did he pass for passing sake, but he also created an average of close to 2.2 chances (52 overall) per game, which was bettered only by David Silva (2.9) and Jesus Navas (2.3) - with the duo playing 8 and 11 more games, respectively, than the former Arsenal player.

More impressively, Nasri completed 27 of his 31 attempted take-ons, proving his efficiency in keeping possession and going past defenders.

He also chipped in with a couple of goals and had a shot accuracy of 63%, which, again, was bettered only by Jose Angel Pozo, who made just three league appearances.

In the Champions League, Nasri wasn't as effective as he was in the league, despite making 6 appearances in the competition. He completed 89% of his passes, but mustered a mere 1.2 chances per game, while also completing just 3 take-ons over six appearances.

Nasri was ultra-impressive in Stadio Olimpico, delivering Champions League success for City

His highlight of the season, however, came in this competition, where he scored a goal and assisted the other for Pablo Zabaleta, in City's 2-0 win over AS Roma last December.

Looking beyond Nasri's stats, City need to determine the reason for holding onto their No.8. In Silva, City have a better player than Nasri and in the same mould as the Frenchman; the Spaniard is also adept at creating goal scoring chances (93, in the league alone), completing take-ons (74% success rate, in the league alone) and scoring (12, in the league alone) goals, too.

Therefore, Nasri, without a smidgen of doubt, doesn't bring something different to Pellegrini's side that also has Navas and James Milner, who play as wingers and defensively contribute a lot more than what the Frenchman usually does.

Nasri found Neymar's pace too hot to handle in the second leg of the Barca-City tie

He is also devoid of pace and, at the Champions League level, he will struggle because of that, as we saw what Neymar did to him when City played the Catalans at the Camp Nou.

If the 2013/14 English champions do secure the services of de Bruyne, Firmino and Sterling, or even one amongst the trio, they ought to make a decision on Nasri's role in the squad.

Because unless Pellegrini decides to adopt the 4-3-3 system, which could see the Marseille-born midfielder play in one of the two advanced midfield positions, it is not going to be possible for him to feature regularly in the starting XI.

He, for me, won't be satisfied with a bit-part role and that could cause serious problems with offloading him, as he is currently on a huge £120,000 per week salary at the Etihad.

Final Thought

The former Arsenal player has possession-retaining ability

Nasri is a very good player, who can make things happen for City when they are playing against parked buses: he can drive into the box, play neat one-twos and thereby, add potency to City's attacks.

However, his work-rate is definitely on the lower side and also lacks pace, which is a significant downside for a player who can play only as a winger at City.

As we all know, it is going to be an intriguing summer at City, and what they do with Nasri will further add to the excitement.

Barclays Premier League Preview: Swansea City vs Manchester City

Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales
Kickoff: 13:30 BST; 18:00 IST

Gary Monk, at just 36, is proving to be a tactical genius

Manchester City travel to the Liberty Stadium, to take on Swansea City in the penultimate Gameweek of the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season.

It really is a significant weekend for Manuel Pellegrini's men, who could seal automatic qualification into next season's UEFA Champions League if they win against Swansea on Sunday.

The hosts, though, are in a fine fettle of their own and won't be easy to beat at all. They ran City ragged when the sides met at the Etihad Stadium last November, and deserved a better result than the one ( a 1-2 defeat) they got in the end.

Both sides' managers - Pellegrini and Gary Monk - insist on playing an attractive brand of football, and I am sure that the viewers from all around the world, as well as the supporters of both these football clubs, will be in for a treat this Sunday afternoon.

Read on... as we compare the strengths and weaknesses of both the sides, and what they have been doing lately.

Swansea

Swansea are a great team to watch when they are playing their best football

Monk's side is sitting in 8th place (with 56 points) on the league table and could achieve UEFA Europa League qualification if they win their remaining games and other results work in their favor; a 7th place finish (provided Arsenal win the FA Cup against Aston Villa on May 30th) could be enough to compete in Europe for the Jacks.

Their 14/15 campaign has been slightly up and down, and the Swans have found it difficult to strike consistency. They have managed to string three wins together only on two occasions in the Premier League this season, and it is an area that they would like to rectify this Sunday.

However, having said that, this has been a landmark season in their history, accruing their biggest ever points tally of 56, which is a whopping 9 points more than their previous best of 47.

The Welsh side comes into this game on the back of three consecutive victories, the last of which came against the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium 5 days back.

Ki Sung-yueng, central midfielder, has already enjoyed a dream season at the Liberty, and is the leading goal scorer with 8 goals in 31 league appearances.

Ki is a genuine box-to-box midfielder

Ki will definitely be one of the players to watch out for tomorrow, as he is a genuine box-to-box midfielder who would want to show his worth against the 2013/14 English champions.

Gylfi Sigurdsson is another player, who has enjoyed a very good season after making a permanent move from Tottenham Hotspur last summer.

He has made the third-most number of assists (10) in the Premier League this season, and will be crucial to his side's chances of winning against City.

While the Swans have played with a lot of virtuosity in attack this season, their backline has not been watertight and conceded 44 goals so far in the Premier League.

Lukasz Fabianski, another one of Monk's marquee signings from last summer, has been called into action many times this season, and played a crucial role in his side enjoying the kind of season they have thus far.

The Pole has made 115 saves in 35 league appearances this season, averaging 3.29 saves, which is the most for a Premier League goalkeeper, per game.

Monk prefers to deploy his side in the archetype 4-3-3 system that enables them to play with great fluidity and creativity in midfield, as well as on the flanks, where the likes of Jefferson Montero, Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer can be absolutely lethal with their pace and movement.

Going into Sunday's home clash against City, it is paramount that Swansea don't concede goals and rely on their attackers to outshone their counterparts.

Someone like Jonjo Shelvey, with his work rate and ability to play instinctively, will have to come good, if Swansea are to cause problems for their illustrious opponents in a defensive and offensive sense.

Don't be surprised if Swansea sit deep and play on the counterattack, which has been the go-to tactic for most Premier League outfits when playing against the league's highest scorers.

City

Sunday's visitors have won their last four league games on the trot, but it would take a lot out of them to beat an in-form Swansea side this Sunday lunch time.

It has been a much needed turnaround for the Cityzens who, before their last four victories, were not assured of a top four spot and have had to work extremely hard to overtake Arsenal and Manchester United into second place.

Aguero is a pocket-size dynamite, at least in the eyes of City fanatics

Sergio Aguero's goal scoring form has been particularly pleasing to see, with the Argentine scoring 6 goals during his side's current 4-game winning run, taking his tally to 25 league goals for this campaign and putting himself in pole position to win the Golden Boot.

David Silva is back to being consistent after a tough two month period that saw him create 29 chances and score 2 goals - which is considerably low for the kind of high standards he sets for himself - from March 1st until the Manchester derby defeat at Old Trafford

The likes of Fernandinho, Aleksandar Kolarov, Eliaquim Mangala and Pablo Zabaleta, to name a few, have come good of late, and been crucial to their team's recent success.

City have performed well as a unit in recent games, with a majority of their players coming back to form and making their presence felt.

Pellegrini too, deserves his share of credit for conjuring up this turnaround in form after the defeat to the Red Devils, who have since won only 25% of their games.

Pellegrini should be applauded for the way he has engineered a turnaround in City's form

The Chilean manager has resorted to playing just Aguero up top, and that decision has paid rich dividends for him, as well as City, who have consequently been tough to breakdown by the likes of West Ham United, Villains, Spurs and Queens Park Rangers.

The City boss has also played with an unchanged starting XI for his side's last two games, but I would be very surprised if he refrains from calling back the fit again stalwarts - Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany - who were on the bench for their side's last game against the Rangers.

Even if the duo does come back into the starting XI, it will be interesting to see who they come in place of: Mangala and Martin Demichelis have largely been good as a defensive partnership, and it would be harsh on either of them to be dropped; Toure's selection could be more straightforward, although it would make sense if Pellegrini brings the Ivorian in place of Frank Lampard and not bench one of the two boisterous Brazilian midfielders.

Another potential selection dilemma for Pellegrini is that of Wilfried Bony, who hasn't managed to start any of his side's last three games since regaining fitness.

It could be an emotional moment for him on his return to the Liberty Stadium as a City player, and this aspect will add a bit more spice to this intriguing Premier League encounter.

Tactically, I expect Pellegrini to persevere with the 4-2-3-1 system, albeit with at least 2-3 changes in personnel.

Going into tomorrow's game, City will be relatively confident of beating Swansea, but will have to bring their A-game to the table.

The hosts have got pacey players up their sleeve and, as aforementioned, will look to play on the counterattack. It is important for the visitors to score that first goal, which always helps them play with verve and composure thereafter.

Defensively, they can be sure to face a few questions from the Swansea frontline comprising of Bafetimbi Gomis, Montero and Routledge, most probably.

City, though, will like playing against Swansea, as it will be more of a competitive game and not cagey.

Final Thought

Expect this to be a goal scoring feast, and closely contested battle between two aggressive football teams.

Both teams will fancy their chances of winning, which is the reason why the spectators could be in for a treat.

City will start as favorites, but Swansea will be reasonably confident of posing defensive problems for the visitors.

Five Reasons Why Manchester City Should Stick With Manuel Pellegrini

Manuel Pellegrini's position as Manchester City manager hangs in the balance

Talks and rumors of Manchester City sacking Manuel Pellegrini are refusing to go away, and the Etihad outfit continues to be linked with the likes of Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, as the potential replacements for Pellegrini.

The Sky Blues have failed to replicate their form from last year, and Pellegrini hasn't been helped by his side relinquishing their hard-earned 2013/14 Barclays Premier League title to Chelsea, who were level with City only on New Year's Day.

The Chilean also took the Cityzens into the UEFA Champions League R-16 for the second consecutive season, after two crucial victories against Bayern Munich and AS Roma in the final two group games. But Barcelona were just too good for them over two legs and, as it has turned out, Luis Enrique's men have eased their way into the Berlin finals rather easily.

Certain City fanatics have been put off by Pellegrini's faith in the 4-4-2 system that saw their side score a whopping 156 goals across all competitions in the league and cup double winning 13/14 season, but the same formation has not brought the best of the players this time around and yet, Pellegrini has largely remained inflexible with his tactics.

The 61-year old remains convinced he will not be sacked by the City hierarchy, and that he will comfortably see out his 3-year contract.

It has been clear from Pellegrini that the Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions placed on City by the UEFA, have proved to be a major stumbling block for them, as they were not able to properly reinforce their squad last summer while Chelsea and Arsenal brought in the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa and have been more 'competitive' than the Cityzens this season.

Only during the off-season will we know how City's hierarchy reacts to what has been an underwhelming season, and Pellegrini is sure to face a few tough questions from Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the chairman.

But here are five reasons why City simply need to stick with Pellegrini and not continue this aberration of sacking a manager every 2-3 seasons. Read on...

Constant changing of managers makes it difficult to attract top players

Pellegrini is probably not the box office manager like Jose Mourinho or Louis van Gaal, who can attract players purely due to their aura and respective winning formulas.

Neymar cited the constant changing of managers as the reason to not join a club like City

However, having said that, stability at a football club is something that any new player considers before moving to his new destination and it is the foremost reason why the City hierarchy needs to persevere with Pellegrini.

The Chilean, in his two years at the club, has already shown how good a man-manager he is, and that aspect of his management will be critical to City attracting the likes of Paul Pogba, Kevin de Bruyne and Roberto Firmino - who are their top transfer targets this summer - to the Etihad.

Talking of player transfers, Pellegrini must surely be mindful of a few players who he would want to add to his squad, and sacking him will not bode well for City's transfer strategy this summer.

A new manager coming in will probably not guarantee instant success

City, when they contemplate parting ways with Pellegrini, must be absolutely sure that the new manager coming in will not, in anyway, disrupt the good work that has been done by the former Malaga manager.

Pellegrini helped City win back their Premier League title from Manchester United in his first season in-charge of the club, but the question is how many managers can guarantee you such success immediately after taking over.

LVG is a perfect example for City to not be hasty in changing managers

Van Gaal is a fine example of why City should be cautious in their decision to change the current manager. The United boss has struggled to come to terms with the Premiership and invited derision for his obsession with tactics, philosophy and what not...

Mourinho, likewise, was not successful on his return to Stamford Bridge last season, when they struggled against the likes of West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Sunderland - clubs that nullified the tactical genius in the Portuguese manager, by way of winning or drawing their respective games against the West Londoners.

Therefore, while a new manager 'could' conjure up something extraordinary when appointed as replacement for Pellegrini, there is no guarantee that the new candidate will guarantee City instant success, which the Chilean was capable of.

Pellegrini has remained defiant and must be raring to go next season

This has no doubt been a sub-standard season for City in recent history, as they, in addition to relinquishing their Barclays Premier League title, failed to progress in the Capital One and FA Cup competitions in which they were ousted by Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, at their Etihad fortress, respectively.

The way City lost both those games - by 2-0 margins - was appalling, and Pellegrini's men, for a brief period, found it difficult to win against the likes of Hull City, Burnley and Palace since that defeat to Aitor Karanka's side.

Pellegrini has handled things well during a difficult season for City

In such tough times, however, you got to laud the way Pellegrini handled things and how he defended himself, his team and everyone concerned with the club.

Also, when faced with tough questions from the English press, Pellegrini has remained pragmatic in handling them, thereby saving the reputation of the club.

Players like Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri have had poor seasons, and it has contributed to City's downfall. The aforementioned trio was at the heart of City's league and cup double winning 13/14 season, but injuries and poor form have seen them make little contribution to City's season this time around.

Pellegrini, purely for his record as manager at City, deserves to reflect on himself and this season, and must surely be determined to get back in the title hunt come August 8th, when the new campaign gets underway.

The Chilean has given City an identity - as an attractive team

Pellegrini and the City hierarchy have constantly reiterated their hunger for success, which they want to achieve in the right manner and by playing an attractive brand of football, however.

City are one of the few clubs that play an attractive brand of football

It was the foremost reason for bringing the Chilean from Malaga last season, as his teams are known to play artistic, success guaranteeing, football.

Such a footballing philosophy has seen City earn themselves an identity as the highest scoring team in the English top flight for the second consecutive season and one of the very few football clubs in Europe that thrive on playing quality football.

What it shows is that Pellegrini continues to fulfill the criteria expected of him by Txiki Begiristain and company, and more than anything else, believes in his methods.

Such assertiveness is wonderful to see and City need to make sure that they retain his services beyond this season.

Cityzens' current 4-game winning streak is a reason to

City won a mere 44% of their league fixtures from February until the Manchester derby last month, and it increasingly looked like Pellegrini's men would not attain Champions League qualification for the first time in 5 seasons.

Pellegrini has engineered a turnaround in City's season over the last month

Pellegrini was perceived as a 'dead man walking' during those two months, which were the initiators to this sack talk or speculation.

However, such speculation has been sent into the trashcan as a result of City's current 4-game winning streak that has got them to within two points of achieving direct qualification into the Champions League group stages next season.

It is not for the first time that we have seen Pellegrini transform City's form after a run of win-less games, and it just shows the adeptness of the Chilean as the manager of a football club that is striving for success and trophies almost every year.

Final Thought

There may come a time when City need a managerial change in order to progress further as a football club.

Yes, this season could be viewed as a failure and one in which progress was not made.

However, the Chilean should be struck with on the basis of the success he brought to the club last season and also for the obvious pluses - a wonderful man-manager, has City playing an attractive brand of football, refrains from tarnishing the reputation of the club - you get with Pellegrini at the helm.

Barclays Premier League: Five Things We Learned From Manchester City's Victory Over Queens Park Rangers

It was a comprehensive City performance against QPR

Manchester City were in ruthless mode against Queens Park Rangers (QPR), putting six goals past Robert Green to register their fourth consecutive victory since their last Barclays Premier League defeat.

The hosts were clinical in everything they did last night, but were greatly helped by the sloppiness of a Rangers side that played like it had accepted relegation even before Mike Dean blew his whistle for kickoff.

Manuel Pellegrini struck with the same starting XI that played with great spunk to win against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane 8 days ago, and his personnel responded well to the situation.

Sergio Aguero, a player who is almost a certainty now to win the Premier League Golden Boot for this season, opened the scoring after just four minutes into the game and followed it up with two more goals in the second half, to complete his third hat-trick of the season.

Aleksandar Kolarov, David Silva and James Milner scored the three other goals to hand the Londoners a humiliating defeat on their way into the Football League Championship next season.

The atmosphere inside the Etihad Stadium was rather muted, which, however, was not unexpected given that the home side was not fighting for any honors as such, but the players kept running about and made sure their performance levels didn't dwindle because of the partisan crowd that turned up to watch them.

We got to learn a few things from a comprehensive City performance, and here are they.

City players' energy levels were so invigorating to see

City played with verve and panache

Ahead of the game, there were question marks over the mentality of the City players, and whether they would turn up for a game such as yesterday's.

Over the last 3-4 seasons, we have seen City, as a unit, not turn up or be a little lethargic in their approach to these kinds of games, but there were no traces of complacency from each one of the City player who played last night.

In fact, it was so good to see City players fighting for every ball, tackle hard and play as a unit while attacking or defending. It was as though Pellegrini's men challenged themselves to be a better side, irrespective of how the visitors performed.

Overall, City attempted an impressive 34 tackles, made 22 interceptions and 34 clearances, which is a testament to their work-rate and commitment last night. And it was one of the marquee aspects of City's victory over QPR.

Shambolic QPR allowed certain City players to gain some confidence

There has been no doubt that certain personnel in the City camp have struggled for form over the course of this season, which has had an inhibiting effect on their team as a whole.

QPR didn't bother to take the game to the home side

The likes of Eliaquim Mangala, Fernando Reges and Kolarov would have expected better performances of themselves before the season began.

Yes, you could argue that Mangala and Fernando have come into a new league and taken time to settle down, but let us not forget that they showed great potential during their times at FC Porto, which captured the attention of Txiki Begiristain who subsequently brought them to the Etihad.

But the duo's performances have not been up to the expected standard and the confidence levels have surely been low for much of this season.

Same applies to the Serbian, who performed very well in Pellegrini's first season in-charge of the club. But he has also struggled for form, suffered a calf injury prior to the first Manchester derby of the season, and only over the last month has he been able to get a run of games in the side.

The aforementioned trio performed well against Spurs, too, but yesterday's game against the Rangers was a terrific opportunity to build more confidence and regain their form, even though the season is nearing its end.

Yesterday's outing against a disillusioned QPR would have allowed the trio of Fernando, Mangala and Kolarov to reflect on themselves and the mistakes they have committed at various stages during this campaign.

City played with great rhythm and precision

By way of scoring six goals yesterday, City took their tally to 77 goals in the Premier League this season.

However, how often have we, this season, seen the Citizens play the brand of football they did yesterday? Not in many games, for sure.

Yes, QPR's ineptitude allowed the hosts to play the game at their own pace, which they did with great aplomb, but it was definitely an attractive performance filled with some magical moments.

Silva was at the heart of most City moves

Silva, as is often the case, was at the heart of most City attacks, taking up positions in the center of the field and orchestrating the proceedings for his side. The Spaniard created 5 chances altogether, in addition to completing 3 of 5 attempted take-ons and 87% of his passes, and finally capped off his performance with a calmly taken goal.

The likes of Fernandinho and Frank Lampard were also in very good form, combining very well with Silva and doing their bit to not affect City's attacking rhythm that we haven't seen for much of this season.

Wilfried Bony, with his assist for Silva's goal and second key pass for Milner's goal from a corner delivered by Kolarov, also put in an eye-catching performance as a substitute.

It will definitely rank as one of City's best performances, at least in an attacking sense, of the season.

It was a team performance, for sure

You can point to Aguero's hat-trick and Silva's all-round display, as the highlights of City's win over QPR.

Every City player chipped in with a good performance

But, in hindsight, it was a comprehensive City performance that had every player putting his hand up and playing his role to perfection: Joe Hart was flawless whenever he was called into action; Martin Demichelis and Mangala put in another good defensive performance; Pablo Zabaleta and Milner were dogged in their efforts at right-back and right-attacking-midfield, respectively; Kolarov, Fernandinho and Silva combined very well down the City left-hand-side; Lampard did his bit as a No.10, and we already have noted the classic Aguero.

Yesterday's performance might well have arrived at an inconsequential stage of the season, but very few sides can cope with City when they play like they did yesterday.

We cannot read too much into it, even though it was a top drawer performance

The headline says it all, really.

Pellegrini will be happy, but know it is all about next season

Coming to the end of the season, with no silverware to fight for, it was good to see City players and Pellegrini motivate themselves and produce the kind of performance they did against Chris Ramsey's side.

However, the calibre of the City's opponents meant that the home side wasn't pushed or tested to their limits, which cannot be an ideal scenario to learn about yourself.

Also, with the season about to end, City getting into form cannot be significant. Can it?

Final Thought

Yesterday's victory, and Liverpool's draw with Chelsea, assured City of a place in next season's UEFA Champions League, though they are still in need of two more points from their remaining two games in order to finish 2nd or 3rd on the table.

Pellegrini and his troops would be satisfied with their performance last night and fettle they are in, going into two attractive fixtures against Swansea City (away) and Southampton (home) that will pull the curtains on the season.

On the downside, it is a shame that such a beautiful performance has arrived so late on in the season, when City, barring a place in the Champions League, do not have much to play for.

Barclays Premier League: How Liverpool Should Lineup Against Chelsea?

Chelsea wrapped up the league title with a win over Crystal Palace last weekend

Chelsea face Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the penultimate heavyweight clash of the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season, on Sunday, having already wrapped up the title and facing a guard of honor from today's visitors as mark of respect for winning the championship.

Jose Mourinho's side has been clinical and consistent throughout this season, especially in domestic competitions, and thoroughly deserves its imperious league title victory.

The Reds, on the other hand, have been searching for consistency throughout the season but, barring an impressive three-month period since the beginning of this calendar year, much of their campaign has been in shambles.

With Manchester United defeating Crystal Palace last night, tonight's visitors have to win their remaining three games and hope Louis van Gaal's men fail to grab even two points from their remaining two games, if Brendan Rodgers' side is to make it to next season's UEFA Champions League.

They first have to mastermind a victory over Mourinho's men, whose record over the last two seasons in these heavyweight clashes is well-documented.

It may not be impossible for the Merseysiders to overcome a resolute Chelsea side, but how does Rodgers go about getting the task done?

Read on... as we look at the prospective Liverpool lineup and the system they should play in against the Blues.

Team news - Liverpool

Mario Balotelli could return to action after recovering from a foot injury that he suffered during his side's 0-1 defeat to Hull City a fortnight back.

Mamadou Sakho, the French central defender, picked up a hamstring injury during Liverpool's 6th round FA Cup replay against Blackburn Rovers in April, and will not be available for tonight's game.

Daniel Sturridge underwent a hip surgery in America on Tuesday, and is ruled out for the rest of the season.

Liverpool do not have any suspensions and Rodgers can pick a really strong side to face the Londoners later today.

Formation

The Liverpool manager has experimented with many a formation this season: it began with the 4-1-2-1-2 or the 4-4-2 diamond system that proved so successful for the Merseysiders last campaign; once his side started conceding a lot of cheap goals earlier this season, he switched to a back three and played a 3-4-2-1 or the 5-2-2-1 system, which saw last season's runners-up turnaround their league form since the beginning of 2015; after successive league defeats to United and Arsenal not-so-long ago, Rodgers has gone back to playing the archetype 4-3-3, with Steven Gerrard playing the pivot or deep-lying play-maker role, ahead of the 4-man backline.

Against Chelsea, he has to get his playing system right, and I don't think any of the aforementioned systems has brought the best of the players they have at their disposal.

Gerrard doesn't have the defensive nous or speed to track back while playing in that No.4 position. Therefore, in a 4-3-3 or 4-1-2-1-2, unless some other player can play that defensive midfielder's role to perfection, I would abandon it from my thought process, at least for today.

The 5-2-2-1 system needs players - especially wingbacks - with great positional intelligence and plethora of energy levels, to shuttle up-and-down the flank all day long; I am afraid Liverpool do not have specialist wingbacks who could make this system work.

Also, against the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian, you wouldn't want to leave even small pockets of space in wider positions, for they are good dribblers and can exploit the slowness of the visitor's wingbacks, which will most likely be two amongst the trio of Glen Johnson, Emre Can and Alberto Moreno.

The 4-2-3-1 system is simple and will give Liverpool the defensive solidity they need in order to enhance their chances of winning tonight. But, again, Rodgers would be better off playing Gerrard in a higher position, closer to Thibaut Courtois's goal.

Lineup

Rodgers has yet to defeat Mourinho as a manager

Last season too, Liverpool conceded a lot of goals (50), but in Luis Suarez and Sturridge, they had two lethal strikers who tore Premier League defenses apart.

This season, the Reds have managed to score a mere 49 goals, but conceded (38) close to 80% of what they have scored, which is the reason why they have not challenged United and Arsenal for a top four league finish.

Simon Mignolet has turned around his wretched form from earlier in the season, and will no doubt start in goal for the visitors.

Johnson has been doing well lately at left-back, winning 9 of his 14 attempted tackles and 12 of 17 aerial duels in his last four consecutive starts for Liverpool. If I was Rodgers, I would shift him onto the right fullback position, where he will be going face-to-face with Hazard.

At left-back, in place of Johnson, I would place the faith on Moreno, who has gone out of the reckoning after a couple of listless defensive displays against United and Arsenal, when his Spanish compatriots - Juan Mata and Hector Bellerin - made a mockery of his defensive sense and positioning.

However, I would bring him back on for the simple reason that he does have speed on his side, and can match Willian's, who is expected to play on the right flank for the hosts. Also, having had time to reflect on his shambolic displays, Moreno could return a rejuvenated figure and add solidity to Liverpool's backline.

At the heart of that rearguard, Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren have started 3 of their side's last four games, managing to keep just 1 cleansheet in that period. Going into a game of this magnitude, I wouldn't want to be fiddling with my defensive personnel, and Skrtel and Lovren should retain their places.

Coming to the engine room, as aforementioned, I would like to see Gerrard not be played at No.4, but further forward. Also, Rodgers needs to keep things simple and opt for a double pivot that Liverpool need, to counter Chelsea's threat in counterattacks and cover for Johnson and Moreno, who like to venture forward from their respective right and left fullback positions.

Henderson's performance could well decide the way this game pans out

Jordan Henderson has had a good season, playing in 34 league games and scoring 6 goals, which is the second-highest tally for a Liverpool player, behind Gerrard and Raheem Sterling's 7 goals.

Not only has he been getting the goals, but creating them, as well, registering 8 assists and creating 61 chances overall in 34 league appearances. In addition, he has shown good passing capabilities over the course of the campaign and has good pace to match his counterparts', making him a viable choice to play as one of my defensive midfielders for tonight's clash.

Henderson's partner has to be another hard-working midfield player, who is willing to do the donkey work and render comprehensive defensive support. Can, having been brought from Bayer Leverkusen as a midfielder, would be my preferred choice in front of the back four.

The German has won an impressive 57% of his attempted tackles in 24 league appearances and, like Henderson, has the necessary speed to track back or recover from mistakes, so Can would make for a good choice at central midfield.

Further forward, Gerrard would be my No.10, who can render creativity while also possessing that innate goal scoring ability. At 34, you want the Englishman to give you as much as he can in an attacking sense, which can only be possible when relieved of his defensive duties.

To the left of Gerrard, Philippe Coutinho is a certainty, given the kinds of goals he has scored this season and his ability to go past people when in full flow. He has been a tad inconsistent, though, but don't expect him to be warming the benches for today's game.

It is unclear as to who will play to the right of the veteran, as Balotelli may not be fit to start and Sterling might have to play the No.9 role, which he has played well at different stages during this campaign.

In that case, the ebullient Adam Lallana should occupy the right-attacking-midfielder's slot.

Final Thought

Such a lineup, in my view, should make Liverpool a tough side to break down. They will have hard-working midfielders shielding the back four, while the likes of Sterling, Coutinho and Lallana add a lot of flair and creativity to break down the meanest defense in the Premier League this season.

Mourinho, despite having won the title, wouldn't want to lose to a heavyweight Premier League rival, so expect the Portuguese to setup defensively and look for a mistake or two, that the visitors have the propensity to make.

It should be an intriguing fixture, but I just hope that Rodgers is sensible in his approach and doesn't tell his players to over-commit themselves, which will only play it into the hosts' hands.

Barclays Premier League Preview: Manchester City vs Queens Park Rangers

City are fifth in the list of most valuable football clubs, as appraised by Forbes

Manchester City, the 2013/14 English Champions, host Queens Park Rangers (QPR) at the Etihad Stadium in Matchweek 36 of the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season, looking to make it four wins on the trot when Chris Ramsey's men come to town this Sunday.

City, having relinquished their hard-earned crown to Chelsea, have little to play for, although they would want to finish second or third on the Premier League table, that will assure them of direct qualification into the group stages of next season's UEFA Champions League.

The Londoners, on the other hand, have very little chance of avoiding relegation, as they need 9 points from their remaining fixtures and hope that the results elsewhere go their way. However, they first need to win at the Etihad this Sunday afternoon, to keep themselves in contention.

Will Ramsey come up with a tactical masterclass to outwit the tried and tested Manuel Pellegrini? Or, will the Citizens hand a hammering to the Rangers on their way into the Championship next season? Read on... to know more.

City

The Sky Blues have garnered plenty of delight over Sergio Aguero's majestic goal scoring form that has seen the affable Argentine striker score 5 goals in his side's last four games.

Sergio Aguero is a special player, at least in the eyes of City supporters

He scored a simply magnificent goal against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane last Sunday, taking his tally to 22 league goals for the season and put himself in pole position to win the Premier League golden boot.

Apart from their No.1 striker's form, City, as a team, have not been coruscating by any stretch of imagination: their defense has been opened up on a number of occasions; they had to give sweat and blood to overcome Aston Villa at the Etihad; and last weekend it was Joe Hart, who saved the blushes for his side.

On another note, however, City have been able to win ugly, which is not unacceptable at this stage of the season.

The likes of Fernandinho, who earlier this week got selected for the Brazil national team to take part in the Copa America which begins in June, Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksandar Kolarov, have stepped up their performance levels and been crucial to their side's recent triumphs.

The rest of the team, which includes David Silva, Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis, have done well in patches, but the performances - unconvincing, lacking cohesion, exuding lethargy and not showing enough desperation - have epitomized the kind of season City have endured.

City have turned their form around since the derby defeat

Looking beyond the negatives, however, a majority of the City supporters have liked Pellegrini setting his side up in the 4-2-3-1 system, which they believe suits their side more than the Chilean's favored 4-4-2 does.

It remains to be seen if the former Malaga manager decides to play two strikers for Sunday's game, which would not be goofy given that Wilfried Bony should have regained fitness and City, at the Etihad, are expected to dominate possession, unless they decide to let QPR have the ball and challenge them to break the home side down.

For their own good, the Citizens need to score that first goal early on in the game. The visitors, given the situation they are in at the moment, will show determination and desire to do themselves justice, so Pellegrini's side cannot expect things to be easy.

It is difficult to anticipate what sort of a game it could turn out to be, as Ramsey's men need to go for it and cannot afford to let City dictate terms to them.

However, having said that, an open game will favor the hosts and Pellegrini, who will be confident of outscoring their opponents, if they decide to come out and play fair.

Though you expect City to register a straightforward victory, I doubt them having it all their own way. QPR's situation will make for an intriguing viewing and force the Citizens to not take things lightly, as they have a propensity to not be completely switched on in games of this kind.

Rangers

The Londoners have endured another torrid campaign that has seen them struggle to win games away from Loftus Road, where they have been decent for a relegation-threatened outfit.

Performance wise, you got to say that the Rangers have not been as bad as their season's away record suggests. It, however, is difficult to comprehend their tally of just 7 points from a possible 51 while playing away, and such a scandalous away record has no doubt contributed to their current situation.

Against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, away from home, they played a good brand of football and could have drawn those games if they had been focused after scoring the equalizer, but they simply haven't managed to harness such opportunities.

Their season's solitary positive so far, has been the goal scoring form of Charlie Austin, who has scored 17 league goals and rescued his side on many an occasion.

Charlie Austin has helped his side garner as many as 13 points in the league

More impressively, 8 of Austin's 17 goals have resulted in QPR winning as many as 13 points, which is almost half the tally of points they are on at the moment.

The likes of Leroy Fer and Joey Barton have done their bit to the team's cause, but Ramsey, and Harry Redknapp before him, have been short on resources and not had enough players in their existent squad deliver the goods.

They come into this Sunday's game on the back of winning just one - against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns - of their last six fixtures, but it is safe to say that they ought to throw the kitchen sink over these last three games and enjoy their time in the English top flight.

They also have not been fortunate with the kind of fixtures they have had to face during the run-in, and their Sunday's opponents, if they are in the mood, will show them no mercy.

Ominously for them, City have recovered their home form and not lost at their own den in the last six league fixtures, a record they would want to hold onto by the end of this campaign.

QPR have struggled to win away from home in the Premier League this season

There are ways in which QPR can make life disconcerting for the Sunday's hosts, who have shown vulnerability in defending set-pieces and when they are up against really pacey sides, as Spurs showed last Sunday.

The visitors, though, cannot be solely intent on attacking, as they will have to defend for a majority of the game and stop the likes of Aguero, Silva and Fernandinho from finding their A-game.

From QPR's perspective, they got to be at their best and hope that City have one of their bad days.

Final Thought

This should be an intriguing fixture from both sides' perspective, with City wanting to finish this season on a positive note while also looking forward to the next season.

Many a player in that squad is playing for his place and Pellegrini too, is looking to show the hierarchy that he deserves to be in his position when next season commences on the 8th of August.

QPR, albeit will find it extremely difficult to topple the leading club in Manchester, can give it a real go and do justice to themselves.

Barclays Premier League: Five Things We Learned From Manchester City's Victory Over Tottenham Hotspur

Sergio Aguero delivered the killer punch against Spurs once again

Manchester City came out 1-0 winners over Tottenham Hotspur after a frenetic game at White Hart Lane yesterday, in a match that surely must have had every one of the viewers on the edge of their seat.

Manuel Pellegrini's men also broke the 'London curse' by way of yesterday's victory, which is their first in the capital this season, after failing to win at the home of any of the London clubs - Arsenal, West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers (QPR), Chelsea and Crystal Palace - in the Barclays Premier League earlier in the campaign.

Mauricio Pochettino's side played a very good game and probably deserved better, but City were a bit more clinical in their performance that saw them complete a league double over Spurs for the second consecutive season.

Sergio Aguero scored the game's only goal, for which David Silva provided the assist, and the visitors hung on to their advantage thereafter, despite having to make last-ditch tackles and blocks to stop the hosts from leveling the score.

Pellegrini, in his post-match interview, expressed satisfaction over the result, as well as his side's performance.

In hindsight, what did we learn from City's third consecutive league victory after the losses to Palace and Manchester United in April? Read on...

A number of City players impressed in a not-so-convincing performance

Pellegrini's side is definitely capable of producing better performances than they did yesterday.

However, having said that, it was not easy to get a stranglehold of the game at any stage during the course of 95 minutes because of the energy and drive shown by the home side that tried everything it possibly could have, to win the game.

All the City players had to work hard, and they did just that

But City were willing to fight hard and neutralize Spurs' threat by way of defensive discipline, on a day when they couldn't get their attacking game going.

And, from City's point-of-view, it was important that many of their players stood up to the task and produced the kind of performances they did: Fernandinho, Silva, Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart and Martin Demichelis impressed during the whole of the game, and played significant roles in their side's victory.

Silva, for instance, showed the hunger and desire to track back - something which he is not used to even when playing as the left-winger - making 10 tackles and winning 4 of them. There were occasions during the game when Silva's inch-perfect intervention stopped Spurs from posing a genuine threat to Hart's goal.

In an attacking sense, Silva played to profile: the Spaniard completed 94% of his passes, created 4 goal scoring chances, 1 of which resulted in an assist for Aguero's goal, and completed his solitary attempted take-on.

Likewise, Fernandinho impressed in a defensive, as well as an offensive, sense, making 4 interceptions, 2 clearances and 3 blocks, in addition to completing 80% of his passes, creating one chance and taking two decent attempts on goal.

Demichelis, you could say, had a mixed game, but there were moments when he was simply impressive and impenetrable: the Argentine made 6 interceptions and 6 clearances, most of which were in and around the City penalty area, and his solitary successful tackle on the day stopped Kane from having a terrific chance to score the equalizer in the 30th minute.

Hart, needless to say, was brilliant on the day, making five magnificent saves and stopping the likes of Paulinho, Lamela and Ryan Mason from scoring a goal past him.

Having been made the captain, Hart probably played the biggest role in his side's victory yesterday, just as he did against AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League group game that City went onto win at the Stadio Olimpico back in December.

It was an eccentric game from City's point-of-view, but if not for the contributions, either in a defensive or offensive sense, of the aforementioned personnel, the tale of the game might well have been different.

Aleksandar Kolarov had one of his best games in a City shirt

Kolarov was by far the best outfield player for City in their 1-0 victory over the North Londoners yesterday.

From the first minute to the last, the Serbian didn't put a foot wrong and was full of hunger and desire, as he impressed in a defensive sense and was lethal going forward, as well.

His very first contribution of the game bailed City out of trouble, as he was the one who tracked Nacer Chadli's run down Spurs' left-hand-side and blocked the Belgian's attempted cross that could well have seen the hosts take the lead in as early as the 2nd minute of the game.

City left-back's defensive contributions didn't end there, as he made 5 other interceptions, 2 clearances, won 1 of his 2 attempted tackles and 3 crucial blocks inside his side's box. 

We cannot reminisce the last time Kolarov produced a defensive display of that sort but, simply put, he was outstanding yesterday.

Going forward, the 29-year old, it has to be said, played to his reputation. 

His delivery from corner-kicks and open play were incisive, completing 4 of his 9 overall crosses, 2 of them resulting in goal scoring chances for his teammates. He also kept his two goal attempts on target, one of which was a 40-yard strike that bamboozled Hugo Lloris, purely because of the power and swerve Kolarov imparted on the ball. 

Therefore, it is safe to say that Kolarov had one of his best games in a City shirt. 

Yesterday's visitors had an attitude check

City have had their mentality and personality questioned during the last few seasons, and that observation on the Citizens was vindicated at White Hart Lane yesterday.

City's rearguard was very slow to get going on the evening, giving the ball away cheaply during the initial stages of the game and failing to get into a good defensive shape.

Eliaquim Mangala, in particular, was caught out of position on a couple of occasions and also failed to control a couple of perilous balls that were played into his feet; on another day, Kane would have punished City and the Frenchman for their lackluster start to the game.

The visitors also failed to deal with a couple of corners in the first few minutes of the game, and the likes of Dier had clear chances to find the back of Hart's net. 

The counterattacking maneuver that resulted in City taking the lead also came after they had failed to deal with a corner properly and were rather fortuitous to have Hart get hold of the bobbling ball.

City's problems in defending corners yesterday were not because of their smaller statures, but due to the lack of proper marking and concentration.

If there is one area, above everything else, City need to tighten up on, it has got to be with their mentality and the way they start marquee fixtures such as yesterday's. 

Tottenham's pace posed plenty of problems for City

The tactical setup of both sides was such that they found it difficult to play through the middle. Both teams lined up in the 4-2-3-1 system and sought to remain narrow in a bid to deny each other the space in the middle of the park. 

During the initial stages, with Tottenham, with all their energy, harrying and harassing City, the visitors were forced into playing long balls just to relieve the massive pressure they were under from the Spurs' frontline. 

City's rearguard had problems dealing with over-the-top balls the hosts played yesterday

The hosts too, with City's rearguard holding a very high line, were keen on playing long balls over the opponents' midfield and defense, and having the likes of Kane, Chadli and Lamela run in behind the City backline. 

That tactic worked very well for a major part of the first half and it was worrying signs for City who, with relatively slow movers in the likes of Zabaleta, Demichelis and Kolarov, just couldn't smother this aspect of the hosts' game plan. 

This has also been a conspicuous aspect of City's struggles in the Champions League, as they always have found it hard to cope with teams loaded with pacey personnel, who have the endeavor to make those runs into the channels. 

City, however, recovered from the mistakes they made in the earlier phases of yesterday's game, but they had to be a lot conservative in their approach and give every ounce of their energy to come away with all three points. 

City showed they can win without dominating possession 

This was a marquee feature of City's game last night and Hart, very rightly, in his post-match interview noted that most of City's opponents this season have played such a style of football and been successful more often than not. 

Over the course of 90 minutes, City had only 46% possession, which is miles off their standards, made fewer passes than the hosts and had fewer attempts on goal than Spurs. But when Andre Marriner blew the final whistle, City were a goal up and had three points in the bag. 

That is why there was satisfaction midst everyone concerned with the Citizens, who have simply been clueless at how City's opponents have managed to win games this season without seeing much of the ball. 

Pellegrini's side, though, probably need to add such a style to their repertoire more often next season and especially in Europe, where you are having to curb your natural style and deal with your opponents' threat from time to time during a fixture.

Final Thought

I have not given any particular recognition to City's Argentine ace, who scored the decisive goal in yesterday's game, but I felt that the contributions made by other players in the side were more significant than Aguero's. 

Yesterday's victory got City to 70 points from 35 games, and has taken them close to attaining direct qualification into next season's Champions League group stages. 

Pellegrini was willing to be a little defensive-minded yesterday

There is still plenty of work to be done by the 2013/14 English champions, who face Swansea City (away) and Southampton (home) to pull the curtains on this campaign that has not gone to plan for Pellegrini's side. 

As far as yesterday's game is concerned, though, it was a huge relief to see City win away from home after consecutively losing their last 5 games across all competitions. 

Barclays Premier League Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City

Manchester City face an away clash on Sunday against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, in Matchweek 35 of the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season.

Mauricio Pochettino's side come into this pivotal fixture on the back of an entertaining 2-2 draw against the Argentine manager's old club, Southampton.

Sergio Aguero scored 4 goals to help his side win over Spurs earlier this season

Manuel Pellegrini's men, on the other hand, were involved in a topsy-turvy Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium against FA Cup finalists Aston Villa who pushed the reigning English champions all the way, but couldn't stop them from registering all three points.

The Sky Blues have yet to win a league game - in five attempts - in London this season, losing to West Ham United and Crystal Palace and drawing the other three fixtures against Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea.

Can the 2013/14 title winners, however, script an important win in the capital, that could go a long way in reinforcing their second place on the Premiership table? Read on...

Spurs

Spurs, apart from their 0-3 defeat to Liverpool early on in the season, have not lost at home to any of the current top eight sides on the league table and will be keen to hold onto that record after the final whistle on Sunday.

In the grand scheme of things, however, this season hasn't gone to plan for the North Londoners.

They sit in 6th place on the league table but, if they can avoid a major slump in form over these last four games, should make their way into next season's UEFA Europa League group stages on account of Chelsea winning the Capital One Cup and Arsenal, even if they win the FA Cup, being favorites to finish in one of the four UEFA Champions League places.

Spurs have played a good brand of football at times this season, most notably in their derby victories over the Blues and Gunners - who lost their games after scoring the first goal.

Harry Kane will be crucial to his side's chances of winning on Sunday

Harry Kane's magnificent goal scoring form since the beginning of November, has given his side an identity and they really have thrived on the Englishman's 20 league goals.

Someone like Christian Eriksen, having scored 10 league goals and created an impressive 72 chances in 34 appearances, has also been enjoying a very good second season in England, but has had little impact on his club's ambitions of fighting for a top four spot.

The likes of Nacer Chadli, Ryan Mason and Mousa Dembele play with a lot of flair and can cause problems for the opposition, if they are feeling good and it is their day.

It is by way of attacking oppositions and scoring goals, that Spurs have been able to remain in touch with the league's top four for a major part of this campaign.

Defensively, they have been rather poor this season, conceding close to 1.5 goals per game and relying on their attackers to score 2 or more goals per game to win football matches.

Hugo Lloris has been making 2.55 saves per game, which is the second-highest for a goalkeeper from a top eight side, during the season, and if not for the Frenchman, Pochettino's side may not even be in the top half.

That is why Sunday's visitors can breathe easy, as they can rely on their strongest suit - which is also attacking - to deliver on the day.

Spurs, as part of their game plan, will want to press City in defense and midfield, and test out the slow movers in Fernando Reges, Martin Demichelis and Aleksandar Kolarov.

When in fine fettle, Spurs can play at a really good tempo and be tough to play against. I think the hosts' style of play - high-pressing and possession based - will make for an exciting viewing come Sunday.

City

Sunday's visitors, with their victory over the Villains last Saturday, registered back-to-back victories in the league for the first time since February.

Such has been the devastating dip in their overall form, that they have had to relinquish their title to Jose Mourinho's side and fight for Champions League qualification, which, however, shouldn't be a problem from here on.

Pellegrini's side has had defensive problems of its own, and there really was no surprise over the way they conceded the two goals against Tim Sherwood's side last weekend; it really has been a way of life for the Manchester club this season.

While the rearguard has struggled and conceded 36 goals in 34 games, the attack hasn't exactly flourished, either.

Sergio Aguero, barring a surprising dip in form for a majority of the last two months, has been consistent in providing goals for his side, and will look to end this campaign as the league's leading goal scorer.

David Silva is the club's second leading goal scorer with 11 league goals, but the Spaniard hasn't registered a lot of assists (only 4) this season.

Yes, he has played the second most key passes (74), behind Eden Hazard's 79, in the league, but it has not been good enough for City, who have struggled to break down congested defenses in almost all their games.

Yaya Toure picked up a hamstring injury against Villa and is likely to miss the trip to White Hart Lane. And the Ivorian, contrary to popular belief midst the club's supporters, will be missed: Toure brings power, goals and serenity to City's midfield, though his lack of work-rate can be a disadvantage.

Though Toure and Silva - City's two most influential midfielders - haven't had their best seasons, the likes of Jesus Navas, who has made the most number of assists (8) for a City player in the league, and Pablo Zabaleta have been enjoying good outings recently.

The duo work well as a partnership that was key to their side's victories over Villa and Hammers.

Eliaquim Mangala has vowed to stop Kane from scoring against City, and the Frenchman will have his task cut out against a Spurs side loaded with pacey players.

It will once again be intriguing to see how Pellegrini sets his side up, although the Chilean doesn't really make major tactical changes, if his two seasons in England are anything to go by.

Wilfried Bony played a cameo role against Villa last weekend, but this Sunday maybe a bit too soon for him to start a game. However, if he has made good recovery from the ankle injury, I think he needs to start alongside Aguero.

Other than that shift in personnel, you don't expect many changes to the City side from the one that started against Villa last weekend; Fernandinho, obviously, will replace the injured Toure.

The Citizens, if they need to win this game, ought to compete with the tempo at which Spurs play. They cannot let the home side dictate play like they allowed Villa to, as it will be nothing less than what Pochettino and company would revel in.

If they can match Spurs for pace and speed of play, they should be strong favorites to win Sunday's game. The visitors will get chances to score goals and the home side, other than Kane and Danny Rose, if he plays, shouldn't pose major problems to City's backline.

Score Prediction:

Tottenham 1:2 City

Final Thought

Pellegrini has not lost to Pochettino in 11 previous meetings between the two

Both clubs' fans can anticipate an attractive football match that these two sides are capable of producing.

City will look to build on from their two previous league victories, but they have yet to win an away game across all competitions since beating Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium way back in February.

Spurs' defense will have its task cut out against Aguero and other City's attackers. Their own attack led by Kane, can match the visitors' but their result will depend on whether or not their backline can stay watertight for 90 minutes.

Has The 2014/15 Season Been A Successful One For Arsenal Football Club?

Hector Bellerin has been a revelation for Arsenal this season

Arsenal are enjoying a very good second half of the ongoing season, a period that has brought plenty of joy to their supporters and already given them major incentives going into the last month of the campaign.

The Gunners, with 5 more games to go in their league campaign, are in a 3-way battle - along with Manchester City and Manchester United - to finish 2nd in the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season.

They also have made it to the finals of the FA Cup and will be facing Aston Villa at the Wembley Stadium on the 30th of May, definitely starting as favorites to retain the crown they won last May.

With very good prospects ahead of them towards the end of this campaign, can we consider this season a 'success' or has it 'still' not been good enough? Read on...

After lifting the FA Community Shield to kick the season off in grandiose fashion, the North Londoners failed to make a good start to their league campaign and progress beyond the second round of the Capital One Cup.

Arsene Wenger faced a lot of tough questions about his ability to get his side competing with the big boys in the Premier League and also in Europe, where they were pitted with Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray and Anderlecht in the group stage.

Wenger's wizards had accrued a mere 27 points after gameweek 17 in the Premier League, having been beaten by the likes of Swansea City and Stoke City in the first round of fixtures. However, they still managed to sit in 6th place on the table and keep themselves in touch with the then top four sides.

Also, in the UEFA Champions League, the North London's biggest club qualified for the knockout stages of the competition, getting an enviable R-16 draw that saw them pitted against AS Monaco.

A major reason for Arsenal's poor early season form was because of the injuries suffered by the most crucial players in the Arsenal squad: Mesut Ozil (knee ligament), Mikel Arteta (ankle), Jack Wilshere (ankle), Mathieu Debuchy (ankle sprain and dislocated shoulder), Aaron Ramsey (hamstring) and Olivier Giroud (broken leg), were all out of action for 2-3 months during the first half of the season, making it close to impossible for Wenger to even pick a 18-man matchday squad.

It was Alexis Sanchez's scintillating form before the beginning of 2015, that kept Arsenal in touch with the then top four teams in the league and saw them defeat Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund at the Emirates on matchday 5 of this season's Champions League.

The Chilean had scored 12 goals and registered 5 assists in the league before the aforementioned personnel returned to action from their respective injuries and took up the mantle from their new teammate, who has been instrumental to Arsenal's current standing on the league table.

Wenger's wizards have, however, turned their form around since the beginning of this calendar year that has seen them play a mesmerizing brand of football, lose just 3 games across all competitions and surge into the top four in the league standings.

The unearthing of Francis Coquelin, who has won 57% of his duels in 18 league appearances, as a midfield enforcer has been one of the major positives to come out of this season.

Santiago Cazorla has also been playing a starring role in Arsenal's midfield, scoring 7 goals and creating 67 goal scoring chances in 32 league appearances this season.

Let us also not forget the contribution of the Girouds, Ozils, and Ramseys since their respective returns to action.

The underestimated French striker's goal scoring form has been mighty pivotal to his side's current 9-game unbeaten run in the league, scoring 9 goals in 13 league appearances since the turn of the year.

Ozil, for his part, has made a good comeback from injury too, scoring 3 league goals and creating a whopping 33 chances since returning from his ankle injury.

Arsene Wenger masterminded a victory at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season

As a team, Arsenal also have won at the Etihad Stadium against City in the league and Old Trafford against the Red Devils in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup - something which had been a hoodoo for a very, very long time - prompting us into thinking that good things are on the arisen and some degree of progress has been made by way of those prestigious triumphs.

However, having said that, Wenger has yet to beat Jose Mourinho, who, with the 0-0 draw at the home of Arsenal last Sunday, has now extended his unbeaten run against the Frenchman to 13 games.

It was a perfect stage for the Gunners to prove their mettle and put down a marker, at least for next season, but they didn't manage it although they weren't poor on the day.

Coming to the continental assignments this season, Arsenal couldn't progress past the R-16 stage in the Champions League for the 5th year running, despite being handed a very favorable draw.

Failure to progress in the Champions League will have hurt Arsenal massively

Their defence came apart in the first leg against Leonardo Jardim's side that emphatically won 3-1 at the Emirates and made it an arduous task for the English club ahead of the second leg in Monaco.

That is definitely a cause for concern if you are Wenger and you knew it was a golden opportunity to shut the mouths of your detractors by progressing to the quarterfinals.

But Wenger and Arsenal came unstuck once again, and it maybe a difficult task to even progress into the knockout stages of the Champions League in the years to come, with UEFA making changes to the seeding system that will see Arsenal move into the second pot ahead of the group stage draw next season.

Final Thought

First and foremost, Arsenal ought to finish off this season on a good note, by hopefully finishing above 4th on the league table and holding onto their FA Cup.

Finishing above 4th on the league table is paramount to the Gunners, as it will give them something to rejoice during the off-season and definitely be an improvement from the previous seasons.

In addition, there have already been a handful of positives to come out of this season: Coquelin's consistent midfield displays, Hector Bellerin's spirited performances at right-back, Cazorla's renaissance and someone like Nacho Monreal overtaking Kieran Gibbs in the pecking order, have, in a way, made it a campaign to remember for everyone concerned with Arsenal.

On the flip side there are the obvious lows of failing to progress in the Champions League, defeat Chelsea in both the league games and mount a league title challenge that the Gunners have been craving for quite sometime now.

Overall, this season has definitely been progressive, but very less to deem it successful.

Manchester City: Five Talking Points From Saturday's Victory Over Aston Villa

Sergio Aguero bagged his 21st league goal of the season

Manchester City got out of jail against Aston Villa, who very nearly pulled off a well deserved draw for themselves, clawing their way back into the game after being 0-2 down and examining the outgoing Barclays Premier League champions' fortitude.

For the Citizens, Sergio Aguero, Aleksandar Kolarov and Fernandinho scored the three goals to ensure their side of the victory that helped them overtake both Arsenal and Manchester United into second-place on the league table.

Tom Cleverley and Carlos Sanchez scored the goals for the visitors, who found plenty of joy from set-pieces throughout the course of 90 minutes.

Manuel Pellegrini, in his post-match press conference, claimed it was his side's fighting spirit that saw them score the decisive third goal, four minutes after Sanchez had equalized for the visitors.

In retrospect: what did we learn from City's performance that, you could say, was not up to the standard of the champions?

City lacked energy and intensity

Aguero made the most of Brad Guzan's howler to put his side into the lead after just 3 minutes on the clock.

Villa failed to learn from Guzan's mistake and kept making unforced errors in possession that led to a couple of more chances for City, but there was a shift in momentum soon after.

The likes of Jack Grealish, Fabian Delph and Leandro Bacuna started seeing more of the ball, and City, with the likes of Yaya Toure, Fernando Reges, Frank Lampard and David Silva in their ranks, failed to cope with the pace at which their opponents played.

There was very little pressing from the home side after the early exchanges, and Villa were allowed time on the ball and oceans of space to maneuver into, which were largely down to the lack of energy from the City side loaded with veterans.

You could also say that Pellegrini's side deliberately sat deeper and probably sought to pick Villa off on the counterattack, but there was very little pressure on the ball when Tim Sherwood's side was in possession.

Jesus Navas and Pablo Zabaleta were the shining lights for City

The Spanish winger continued from where he left off against West Ham United, putting in another good performance that probably didn't get him the deserved praise.

Kieran Richardson, Aston Villa's left fullback, actually handled Navas pretty well, matching the 29-year old winger for speed and roughening him up with three tackles, though he was successful only on one occasion.

Navas, with his pace, gave City a long ball option, which Martin Demichelis and Toure made use of during the first half, especially.

But he also showed how good a ball carrier he can be - cutting inside from his right flank and carrying the ball to the opposite flank with minimum fuss.

Navas completed all four of his attempted take-ons, though he managed to complete only 2 of his 7 attempted crosses on the day.

Zabaleta was another City player who had a very good outing against Villa. The Argentine fullback was full of energy and tenacity, winning one of his three attempted tackles and all of his aerial duels (2) on the day.

Zabaleta also made 5 blocks near City's 18-yard box, as he was alert to every possible danger caused by Villa.

Fernando was one of the many weak-links in City's starting lineup on Saturday

With Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the City chairman, watching on from the stands, a handful of City players knew they were going to be judged and had to put a real shift in.

Fernando, having not made an enviable start to his City career, had another one of his poor games in his first season at the Etihad Stadium.

He slipped often, as did many of his teammates, and failed to take up good positions ahead of the backline. His lack of pace also meant that he was chasing shadows when the likes of Grealish, who completed 7 of his 8 attempted take-ons, deceived him with their movement and speed across the turf.

Kolarov had a mixed performance on his second consecutive start for the reigning English champions. He failed to play with an understanding with his teammates when City had the ball, and he was not very good in a defensive sense either.

The Serbian committed a couple of fouls and failed to win any of his 4 attempted tackles. He, however, was involved in 2 of City's 3 goals, scoring a brilliant free-kick to double his side's advantage and then following it up with a very good assist for Fernandinho's goal that made sure of the victory.

Toure was another one of those players who failed to impress in the presence of the club chairman, even though he was on the pitch only for 45 minutes.

The imperious Ivorian attempted only 17 passes during his vigil, but failed to make any meaningful contribution to City's attacks.

Collectively, Saturday's performance summed up City's season so far, but it also brought to light the massive changes needed to the squad, if Pellegrini's side is to get back in the title hunt next season.

Fernandinho - first, the game changer and then the savior 

The Brazilian's introduction in the second half saw City play with a lot more vitality and incision, as the midfielder played some delightful passes when in possession and worked hard for the welfare of his side, as well.

Fernandinho's eye for a pass is often underestimated, as he usually does the donkey work and always plays in the shadows of the likes of Toure, Silva and Samir Nasri, to name a few.

However, on Saturday, it was the 29-year old midfielder who stood out amongst all other midfielders for City on the day.

Fernandinho's 89th minute winner gave City all three points against Villa

He completed 90% of his attempted passes, created one goal scoring chance, scored a gem of a goal under pressure and was by no means bad defensively (winning 50% tackles and aerial duels).

Hopefully, with that performance, he has sealed his place in City's starting XI for the remaining games of the season.

Defensively, City were not good enough

Not only did Aston Villa enjoy as much as 55% ball possession, but also created an impressive 10 chances during their narrow 2-3 defeat to City on Saturday.

Joe Hart had to make 4 saves during the 90 minutes, and the England No.1 nearly cost City two points by failing to punch the ball away from the danger area while coming from his line to deal with the crosses.

I felt that City dealt with Christian Benteke pretty well, winning a good portion of their aerial duels against the buccaneering Belgian, who, however, created his side's first goal.

Regardless of the systems - 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 - City have lined up in this season, there has always been that worry about the backline when the Blues' opponents have had possession, and the scenario wasn't any different against the Villains on Saturday.

Final Thought

Pellegrini, and City, would be relieved that they managed to secure all three points despite producing a sub-standard performance.

There is a major gulf between City of last season and this season, and it will be interesting to see how the hierarchy at the Etihad Stadium addresses the issues concerning the club.

Villa, though, performed very well and, personally, it wasn't surprising that this season's FA Cup finalists took the game to the hosts and very nearly reaped full rewards.