Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini will be looking for his players to complete the job and win their final two games
Manchester City hosts Aston Villa tonight in a game that could help decide the destination of the Premier League title.
City dropped to second in the Premier League table on Monday, when Liverpool drew 3-3 at Crystal Palace.
However, courtesy of their superior goal difference the Citizens would go back to the top of the table with a draw.
Advantage
City have gained a big advantage in the title race in the last few weeks, as Liverpool were defeated 2-0 at home to Chelsea, while incredibly the Reds threw away a three goal lead at Palace in the last 15 minutes. Those last 15 minutes could be the most important of the season.
Liverpool got slightly complacent and thought they had already beaten Palace at 3-0, but an unexpected Palace comeback means that City could even afford to draw against Villa and still go back to the top of the table.
The scenario is now simple. Two wins for City will give them the Premier League title and Liverpool would have to settle for second. A City draw and a win on the last day of the season against West Ham would also give City the title.
However you look at it, the title is now Manchester City’s to lose and it is hard to see that happening in the last two games.
Complacency
It seems that the only thing that can prevent City from claiming the title now is City themselves. Opponents Aston Villa and West Ham have very little to play for this season, but pride, so they are unlikely to be at their sharpest.
The City players know what they have to do, but they may also now take their foot off the gas, believing that they have already won the title.
Slip-ups
City has slipped-up quite a few times this season. Earlier this season the Citizens suffered unlikely defeats at the likes of Villa and Cardiff, so they do have the propensity to suffer surprise defeats.
More recently Manuel Pellegrini’s side were held by Sunderland 2-2 at the Etihad Stadium, scoring a late equaliser through Samir Nasri. That point is starting to look like a good one now, especially the way that the Black Cats have been performing of late.
When Sunderland claimed a point at the Etihad, they were bottom of the table and on a terrible run of form, so it shows that any team in the top-flight can take points off any other team. Since that game the Black Cats have gone on a good run and now look safe from the drop.
Everybody connected with Liverpool will be thinking if Sunderland can take something away from City, then so could Villa or West Ham. It may be clutching at straws, but in this league you just never know.
Decent
Villa’s record against the top-four this season is decent. Villa have already defeated City once, drew 2-2 at Liverpool, also won 3-1 at Arsenal and defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Villa Park. They are a team capable of producing an unexpected performance.
They have little to play for, after the pressure of being involved in a relegation dogfight was lifted with a weekend victory over Hull. If Villa conceded an early goal though, then it would be difficult to see them getting back into the match.
Blow
The news that Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero will miss the Villa match with a groin injury is a massive blow. The striker picked-up a knock early in the game against Everton, after scoring City’s equaliser.
He turned to social media to reveal that that he was substituted as a precaution and he was fine, unfortunately though he has been ruled out and could even miss the last game of the season against West Ham.
City are not the same team without the Argentinian striker, he offers the pace and mobility that fellow City strikers Edin Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo cannot provide.
Twist
The Premier League title race has provided us with a number of twists and turns this season, but with the game having so much riding on it, I expect City to complete the job and defeat the visitors from the Midlands and get one hand on the Premier League trophy.
Will Manchester City be complacent against Aston Villa?
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