Should Manuel Pellegrini Go For Youth In Manchester City's Lineup For The Final Game Of The Season?

Manuel Pellegrini remains intent on signing off the season with a win

Manchester City will finish their 2014/15 Barclays Premier League campaign, which has seen them relinquish their title to Chelsea, with a home game against Southampton on Sunday.

The Sky Blues have secured second place ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United in the league standings, by winning their last five league fixtures on the trot.

They were ran close in a couple of games by Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City - both away from home - but a determined Manuel Pellegrini's side made sure that they worked hard out of possession and were clinical in attack, to secure three points on both those occasions.

City, otherwise, registered comfortable victories over West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers (QPR) at the Etihad Stadium, where they also overcame an assertive Aston Villa side that was close to holding the hosts for a point, at least.

It has been an important turnaround for the Cityzens, who, at one stage in April, looked likely to not even qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.

Having secured the runner-up spot, as well as automatic qualification for the group stages of the Champions League next season, should Pellegrini experiment, and inject a few youth players in his starting lineup for Sunday's clash against Ronald Koeman's Saints?

Read on...

City's season was virtually over after they suffered defeats to Barcelona in the Champions League and Liverpool in the Premier League, in back-to-back games during the late February and early March period.

The atmosphere inside the Etihad, consequently, hasn't been at its raucous best for a good three months now and the City faithful are already looking for a fresh start next season.

The City supporters, however, have taken great delight in their club finishing above Manchester United for the second consecutive season, with Louis van Gaal's men losing 75% of their games (4) since inflicting a 2-4 derby defeat on City in April.

City fans witnessed their side pummel Southampton by 3-0 in the reverse fixture

The Etihad outfit has also played a coruscating brand of football, which has been missing for much of this season, lately, going onto score 16 goals during their current 5-game winning run, compared to just 9 in the previous 6 league fixtures.

One of the factors Pellegrini needs to consider if he is keen on experimenting with his starting lineup is that City will be playing at home against Southampton, a game for which the tickets have been sold out, and it, therefore, almost becomes an obligation to give the club's fanatics a good send off.

The Chilean, in his final pre-match press conference of the season yesterday, said that "Second is finished but the season isn't. We must try to win for our fans, to play well and give a good farewell to the season", indicating his single-mindedness in wanting to finish the season on a winning note.

PELLEGRINI: Second is finished but the season isn’t. We must try to win for our fans, to play well and to give a good farewell to the season

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) May 22, 2015

That statement of his makes sense too, because City, unlike Jose Mourinho's side, haven't had a great season, and it can only be a good thing to finish the season with as many points to your name as possible.

The Chilean also has to be cautious in the way he bloods in youth to his squad, which has been one of his virtues as a City manager, because ideally, he doesn't want the youngsters to feature in a game and lose confidence on themselves because of a poor performance or something.

In addition, the starlets seem a little light-weight compared to the likes of a Jordan Ibe or Ruben Loftus-Cheek, players who have graced the Premier League this season for Liverpool and Chelsea, respectively.

The caliber of the opposition also needs to be taken into account, and from that point of view, City will need to play their full-strength side in order to overcome Sunday's visitors.

On the flip side of the coin, however, there can be no better stage for Pellegrini than Sunday, when he could inject a couple of youth players to his side's starting lineup, and thereby squash any lingering doubts over his supposed lack of faith in City's academy and EDS players.

Players like Kelechi Iheanacho and Jose Angel Pozo, who has already appeared for City in three league fixtures this season, could be given a chance to feature this Sunday, when there is absolutely nothing to lose or gain, at least from the home side's perspective.

It will be an important step, as Pellegrini often puts it during his interviews, in the Chilean's reign as City manager, who will need to have a few youth options up his sleeve ahead of the next season, when he will once again be under pressure to deliver silverware.

But going by his thoughts in the presser yesterday, Pellegrini sounds to be in no mood whatsoever to take a gamble, and put himself under pressure if something goes wrong.

Final Thought

It is important for City and Pellegrini to secure three points on Sunday, and ensure that they finish the season on a very good note.

Therefore, it would be good for City and their supporters if the former Malaga manager sticks with the lineup that has delivered results over the last month, and makes sure of the victory first.

This talk of experimentation can wait, at least until three points against Southampton are assured.

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.