What Formation Should Manchester City Line-up In Next Season?

Manuel Pellegrini will have his task cut out next season

Manchester City made a strong finish to their trophy-less 2014/15 season, winning their final six games in the Barclays Premier League and comfortably finishing in 2nd place, ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United, who looked likely to finish above them at one stage during the campaign.

Manuel Pellegrini deployed his side in the 4-2-3-1 system for the final seven league fixtures, including the 2-4 derby defeat at Old Trafford, and the results were there to be seen.

It wasn't a major innovation from 'the Engineer', who, during his reign at the Etihad Stadium, has been continually castigated for his inclination to playing the 4-4-2 formation, one which saw the 2013/14 English champions score a whopping 156 goals across all competitions.

Pellegrini's decision was also forced, in many ways, due to Edin Dzeko's poor form and disillusioned exterior; Wilfried Bony, the new recruit from Swansea City, suffered ankle and knee injuries during the latter stages of the campaign, making the manager's decision all the more straightforward.

Looking ahead to next season, what sort of a system can Pellegrini deploy his side in? The Chilean is a firm believer in his methods, though some would argue that his dogmatism is uncalled for, with City vying for domestic and continental honors.

When the Etihad outfit brought in the likes of Eliaquim Mangala, Fernando Reges, Frank Lampard and Bacary Sagna, who were the outfield players to sign for the then defending champions, last summer, their system didn't need tweaking.

The addition of the aforementioned quartet to the City squad meant that their midfield and rearguard were not only strengthened, but could also be rotated - which is exactly what Pellegrini did for a majority of their campaign.

This summer, the club seems motivated to sign a world class player, with Paul Pogba and Kevin de Bruyne topping the coveted list of players.

The question, therefore, is whether the new additions will force Pellegrini to tinker with his playing system? And, if so, what formation could the Sky Blues line-up in next season, in the UEFA Champions League and domestic competitions?

Read on...

A lot has been said about the way City have lined-up over the last two seasons, with particular emphasis placed on getting outnumbered in midfield whenever Pellegrini's side has played in the 4-4-2 formation.

However, not many have been aware of the notion that it is the players who make the system work, and not the other way around.

Let us take the 4-2-3-1, or 4-4-1-1, formation for instance: usually, David Silva plays as the No.10 and Sergio Aguero, the club's No.1 striker, plays up top. Now, when City are out of possession, Silva remains high up the pitch along with Aguero, and their team drops into two banks of four.

Average positions of City players in a 4-4-2, when out of possession

Therefore, 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 is hardly any different from a 4-4-2 formation, especially without possession of the ball.

When in possession, it is fundamental that City work as a team and do everything possible to find the back of the net, leaving the two central defenders along with Fernandinho, the No.4 or midfield pivot, to do the bulk of the defensive work when a turnover in possession occurs.

Talking of next season, Pellegrini might have to play a different formation if either Pogba or de Bruyne joins up with the existent City squad.

The Cityzens already have three midfielders - Toure, Fernandinho and Fernando - at their disposal, and only two of them can play in the 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 systems.

De Bruyne, though, is versatile and could be deployed in at least 2 or 3 positions, making it possible for City to continue lining up in the aforementioned systems, with the Belgian and Silva presumably forming a good partnership in the attacking-third with Aguero.

City lining up in the 4-3-3 system is not out of the question, if Txiki Begiristain and co. bring in the players who are reported to be interesting them.

De Bruyne will give Pellegrini many tactical options to choose from

Such a formation will make profound changes to City's engine room, which could then have one of the two Brazilian midfielders playing as a solitary pivot behind Toure and, possibly, one amongst de Bruyne and Silva partnering the Ivorian in that advanced midfield position.

Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri, you would think, will flank Aguero in the final-third.

The 4-3-3 formation will give City a lot more potency when attacking, while also giving them better defensive solidity than what they enjoy in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2.

The notion, however, remains the same: each player has to play his role well, in order to make the system work.

Final Thought

It remains to be seen what City do with Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic, and whether the duo is shown the door when the Transfer Window opens in July.

However, regardless of what happens to the aforementioned duo, or even one among them, don't be surprised if Pellegrini sticks with the 4-4-2 system in the Premier League and cup competitions.

In Europe, City could lineup in the 4-3-3 formation, that is if they bring in more central midfielders.

City, simply put, defended flimsily last season

Finally, City's defensive struggles last season were not due to the formation they played in, but because of the defenders' - Vincent Kompany and Mangala, in particular - poor form throughout the campaign, which led to their side conceding some really cheap goals against considerably lesser opposition.

What Can Manchester City Takeaway From Their Strong Finish To The Season?

Joe Hart has been one of few standout City players this season

Manchester City will definitely be finishing the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season in 2nd place, with Arsenal failing to win against Sunderland yesterday and relinquishing the slim chance they had of finishing above Manuel Pellegrini's men.

City, with already 76 points to their name, face Southampton at the Etihad Stadium in the final competitive game of the season, and will no doubt be looking to make it half-a-dozen wins, to pull the curtains on what has been a 'disappointing' season for the club.

The Sky Blues have endured a horrible second half of the campaign that has seen them lose to the likes of Burnley and Crystal Palace - away from home - making life easier for Chelsea and Jose Mourinho, who have consequently won the title in a canter.

Pellegrini too, as a result of City's poor showings, has come under intense scrutiny regarding his position and we still await the board's decision on him before the next season kicks off.

City's last defeat came against Manchester United, who won 4-2 at Old Trafford after losing the previous four derbies on the trot, in April, when it seemed like Pellegrini's side would struggle to even finish in one of the four UEFA Champions League places.

Credit to the Etihad outfit, however, for turning things around in the way they have, stringing a quintet of league wins together and assuring themselves of direct qualification into the group stages of next season's Champions League.

The questions are: does City's strong finish to the season count for anything? What are the positives to come out of the current winning run? Answers to follow...

Fighting Spirit

City have shown tremendous fighting spirit during their current 5-game winning run

The hunger to win football matches has been one of the most impressive aspects of City's current 5-game winning run.

The 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane was invigorating to watch, simply because of the manner of the victory. Out of possession, City had to be dogged and defend for large periods in the game, which can't be easy for a side that thrives on possession football.

Sergio Aguero's winner came from a fantastic City counterattack, with Silva teeing up the Argentine who was utterly unflappable with his taking of the chance.

Against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, the game was more suited to City's style of play, and the 4-2 scoreline confirmed that the visitors had the better attacking resources of the two sides.

However, on both those occasions, City had to fight hard for the three points, and by doing so, were fully deserving of the results they managed in the end.

Although it has come pretty late on in the season, City have shown character and steel during their current 5-game winning run and that is definitely a positive to come out of their strong finish to this season.

Team Effort

Barring the victories over West Ham United and Aston Villa, teams that sabotaged themselves with a couple of unforced errors, City have played and won as a team.

Aleksandar Kolarov in particular, has been in a rich vein of form in his position at left-back, winning tackles, aerial duels, delivering incisively from corner-kicks and scoring a couple of beautiful free-kicks, too.

Along with the Serbian, the duo of Pablo Zabaleta and Fernandinho, who probably haven't had satisfying seasons by their own standards, have put in some very good displays at right-back and central midfield, respectively.

City have performed collectively during the last month

In an attacking sense, Aguero, Milner and Silva have been a delight to watch, and were the cornerstones to City's attractive victories over Queens Park Rangers (QPR) and Swansea.

Neither can we ill-afford to forget Joe Hart's heroics in City's victory last weekend, pulling off a couple of flabbergasting saves that gave his side a chance to go and clinch the three points.

Wilfried Bony came up with an assist and a goal in his last two substitute appearances for City, showing his pedigree as a genuine target man.

Many a City player hasn't been at his best for a majority of this season, and Aguero's goals have bailed his side out of trouble on a number of occasions. But ever since the derby defeat, City have performed and won as a team.

Takeaways for the Cityzens

Capitulation seemed inevitable after the defeat to the Red Devils, and Pellegrini was portrayed as a 'dead man walking' by many media outlets.

Capitulation seemed inevitable after the derby defeat

I think, from that point of view, City have conjured up a remarkable turnaround and made sure that they lived up to their recent history as either the winners of the Premier League or runners-up.

Hart, in the aftermath of the 6-0 victory over QPR, mentioned that a top four finish was the minimum for City these days. Also, finishing above Arsene Wenger's wizards and United - in particular - for the second consecutive season will delight City.

Avoiding capitulation, for me, says a lot about City as a club and their ambitions to remain the top dog in the English top flight, while also being aware that Mourinho and Chelsea will be their strong rivals in the years to come.

Other than that, City need to regroup and recruit in the best way possible this summer, to challenge for honors next season, when it will once again be a 'fresh' start and challenge.

Final Thought

Pellegrini has engineered a turnaround in City's fortunes during the last month, which tells a lot of him, as well, as a manager who can be trusted with delivering silverware for City in the 2015/16 campaign.

Manuel Pellegrini has a big summer ahead of him

The character shown by the City boss can also be looked at as one of the positives to come out of the Cityzens' strong finish to their 2014/15 campaign.

Barclays Premier League: Five Things We Learned From Manchester City's Victory Against Swansea City

Yaya Toure's brace was pivotal to City's victory yesterday

Manchester City, by way of a 4-2 victory against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, registered their 5th consecutive Barclays Premier League win since suffering defeat at the hands of Manchester United in April, and assured themselves of direct qualification into the group stages of next season's UEFA Champions League.

It was a brilliant game of football, that didn't have too much to choose between two attractive football teams.

But City, with a bit more firepower than the hosts, in attack, managed to outscore Gary Monk's side that played with great vigor and incision.

Yaya Toure (2), James Milner and former Swan, Wilfried Bony, got the goals for the visitors, who would have been disappointed at the way they conceded the two goals, which were scored by Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bafetimbi Gomis on either side of half-time, and let Swansea back in after leading them by 2-0 in the first 45'.

From City's perspective, they certainly would be cock-a-hoop because of yesterday's victory that sees them finish above the Red Devils in the Premier League standings for the second consecutive season. However, in hindsight, what can they takeaway from their display against the Swans?

The home side played as they were expected to

Having accrued 56 points, which is the highest ever points tally in their history, from 36 games prior to the defeat to City, it was not unexpected of Swansea to perform the way they did and take the game to their illustrious opponents.

Montero posed plenty of problems for Zabaleta on City's right-hand-side

Out of possession, they were well organized and forced City to work hard to create openings. When they won the ball back, the Welsh side broke in unison and asked a few questions of their opponents' rearguard that found it difficult to cope with the pacey Swansea forwards - Nathan Dyer, Jefferson Montero, and Modou Barrow in the second half.

Sigurdsson's goal, which came on the stroke of half-time, was a timely one and reminded City that the game was not over by any means.

Gomis got the second goal after 20 minutes into the second half, and incidentally, it once again came at a time when City were fashioning chances of their own and close to finding what could have been a decisive 3rd goal.

Swansea, considering the way they scored the two goals and created 7 other goal scoring chances on the evening, would be bitterly disappointed at the result they managed in the end.

Lukasz Fabianski had a forgettable game, as he should have done much better for both the Toure goals and at least got a hand to Milner's goal, which came from a brilliant City counterattack.

Overall, Swansea played well and contributed to a very good game of football, which was also not unexpected prior to kickoff.

But, hopefully, this game could help them identify the areas they need to tighten up on when playing against the big boys of the Premier League and also have a look at harnessing the opportunities, like they were afforded by City last night.

City produced a 'good' away performance

There were many a moment during yesterday's game when Manuel Pellegrini's men were under the pump and had to weather a Swansea storm.

Such a scenario was particularly palpable even prior to City scoring the opener, with the likes of Montero posing defensive questions to Pablo Zabaleta and Dyer too, investigating Eliaquim Mangala's temperament as a Premier League defender.

The visitors, though, came through every one of those testing phases, first to take a 2-0 lead and then to restore their two-goal advantage after Swansea equalized.

Milner's goal came from a terrific City counterattack

I thought that Pellegrini's side played some delightful counterattacking football, with Milner's goal in particular exuding great precision and illustrating the clinical nature of City's attacking play, on a day when they created 20 goal scoring chances and attempted 22 shots on Fabianski's goal.

The Cityzens only saw 51% of the ball, which is 5% less than the amount of possession they have averaged over this season, during the 95 minutes, but never found it hard to create chances and repeatedly got behind the Ashley Williams-led backline.

Such incisive attacking performances have been few and far in between for City, who will no doubt look into improving on that aspect of their game before the next season kicks off.

City showed why they are far from becoming a force in Europe

Yesterday's game was a carbon copy of City's early season clash against Hull City at the KC Stadium where, after taking a 2-0 lead, they conceded two cheap goals to let the home side back into the game.

Against Swansea, they were probably not as dominant as against Steve Bruce's side, but no way should Monk's men have got back into it and posed fresh concerns for City.

The central defensive partnership of Martin Demichelis and Mangala didn't have a great time yesterday, and found it extremely hard to deal with Gomis' physicality and genuine aerial ability.

Mangala was probably assigned to mark the 29-year old striker, but the Frenchman was caught out of position many times and Swansea found plenty of joy in playing around the former FC Porto defender.

City's rearguard was not up to the mark against Swansea yesterday

While Mangala had a forgettable game, Demichelis didn't produce one of his best performances either, winning just 1 of his 5 attempted tackles and failed to win his solitary aerial duel.

Vincent Kompany came on for the last 15 minutes, replacing Fernandinho and going alongside Mangala, with Demichelis moving into that No.4 position.

Even the inception of the Belgian defender didn't improve City rearguard's performance on the day, which was way below par. On another day, Swansea could have won that game if not for Joe Hart, who made two jaw-dropping saves to keep the score at 2-2 before Toure put City in the lead for the second time on the day.

Defensive problems have marred what has been a disappointing season for the Sky Blues, who once again relinquished a two-goal lead yesterday, before redeeming themselves and eventually going onto win the game.

Their attacking play was coruscating for a best part of 95 minutes, but defensively, against a pacey Swansea outfit, they were far from convincing, which explains why they have vast improvements to make in order to become a force in Europe.

It was a team effort from Pellegrini's side

This was one of the stark aspects of City's performance against Swansea yesterday: at least 60% of the players who played yesterday, put in satisfying displays. 

Toure had a brilliant game and was mighty pivotal to City's victory against the Swans. He scored 2 goals that gave his side the lead on both the occasions, while completing 87% of his passes and all three attempted take-ons: complete midfielder's display, that. 

Aleksandar Kolarov continued his rich vein of form with another solid display at left-back, where he had his task cut out against the fleet-footed Swansea wingers - Dyer and Barrow. 

The Serbian won 3 of his 6 attempted tackles and 3 of the 5 aerial duels he was involved in, while also making 2 interceptions and 4 clearances, to vindicate the defensive solidity he rendered yesterday. In an attacking sense too, he played to profile: delivering well from corner-kick situations, from which he created two goal scoring chances, and in general provided great attacking impetus to the visitors. 

Silva and Milner were prolific as a partnership for their side

Likewise, Milner was great to watch, as his understanding with David Silva led to City creating many chances from the left-hand-side once Navas replaced Frank Lampard, and the man from Yorkshire moved into a No.10 position. On the evening, Milner created 6 goal scoring chances; completed all (4) his attempted take-ons and scored a goal, to cap off a comprehensive performance. 

Hart made 7 saves overall; Sergio Aguero made the assist for Milner's goal; Silva registered two assists and completed 5 of his 7 attempted take-ons; Bony, as aforementioned, scored a goal against his old club, in the 10 minutes he got to play in for his new one. 

Therefore, it was a team effort from City who totally deserved the result they managed yesterday.  

City's good run of form carried them through

There were moments during yesterday's game when City could have crumbled under the pressure exerted on them by Swansea. They, however, kept going and managed to pull off the desired result in the end.

The players looked confident whenever City were in possession, and there was fluidity to most City attacks against Monk's side. 

City will be cock-a-hoop by the result they managed at the Liberty Stadium

Aguero led the line well, even though he didn't produce a good performance on his own, and the Milner-Silva duo was absolutely fabulous to watch.  

Even after Swansea attained parity, you never thought that City were going to get agitated and fail to create any more chances; that belief, I think, is a result of the winning run Pellegrini's side has been in since the Manchester derby defeat, and also the boost they would have garnered from the manner of their victory against Aston Villa at the Etihad three weeks ago. 

Final Thought

Pellegrini will be delighted by the result, but should investigate City's frailties

Poor defending and letting a 2-goal lead slip, again, probably will take a bit of the sheen off City's victory against Swansea. 

But take no credit away from City for the way they attacked Fabianski's goal and created as many chances as they did, playing away from home. 

Let us also not forget the contribution of Hart to the victory, which would definitely have not been possible without those two massive saves the England No.1 pulled off after Kompany replaced Fernandinho.

Pellegrini will be one happy man, and inching to finish the season with a win against Southampton at home. 

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 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.