City face their final away game of the season on Sunday, with a trip to Swansea City on the cards for Manuel Pellegrini and his team. Automatic Champions League group stage qualification is now within sniffing distance, and could be secured with a point at the Liberty at the weekend.
In the previous game against The Swans this season, we witnessed a goal from Wilfried Bony, as he gave his now former side the lead back at Eastlands in November. Swansea still have threats in their team, but personally I’ll be glad to see Bony firing for us, and not against us, this time. Despite our latest signing giving Swansea the lead that day, we were able to turn it around and earn a 2-1 win in the end, thanks to goals from Stevan Jovetic and Yaya Toure.
In this fixture last season, we were slightly less comfortable, although we did score 3 goals – good signs ahead of Sunday. We took the lead after just under quarter of an hour thanks to Fernandinho, although we were foiled by (you guessed it) Wilfried Bony, equalising just before half-time. We managed to extend our lead to 3-1 thanks to Yaya and Kolarov, before Bony ensured some late drama with his second goal late in the game. Thankfully, The Blues held on for the win, yet many will be hopeful that it isn’t quite so close this season.
With a result important on Sunday, every Blue will be pleased to hear we’re going into the game with an almost full-strength squad. Samir Nasri is still absent with the groin injury he picked up at White Hart Lane, and was in Italy this week starting his rehabilitation, but apart from that there are no injuries. Kompany and Yaya could return to the starting line-up, having been on the bench due to lack of fitness last week.
Things aren’t quite as rosy for Sunday’s hosts however. Nelson Oliveira (ankle), Jordi Amat (metatarsal fracture), Wayne Routledge (foot) and Kyle Naughton (foot) all miss out, although there is some good news in that Tom Carroll and Angel Rangel are to have fitness tests before the game on Sunday.
With Swansea still half-in the race for Europa League, a win could turn out to be very important for The Swans on Sunday, although it holds similar significance for City – a place in pot 2 of next season’s draw awaits them should they qualify for the group stages automatically, which would see The Blues avoid the likes of Real Madrid in next season’s draw for the group stages – something which will be music to the ears of City fans. There’s just two games left of the season, and the race to finish higher than Arsenal enters the home stretch on Sunday, with Swansea perhaps the biggest challenge still stood firmly in our way.
