Tonight, supporters will be eying events at Upton Park with interest, hoping for a slip-up from Manchester United which would put destiny back in our own hands.
It should never have been this way though, according to Bacary Sagna, who believes that the players must shoulder the blame for the current predicament City find themselves in.
“It’s very disappointing, especially the way we started the season,” Sagna is quoted as saying in today’s Independent.
“But we are to blame. We had everything in our hands to be the best and I believe if we play like we did against Arsenal we are the best team. But we have to play like this all season. But this is the past now and we have to keep our heads up and get the three points against Swansea.
“We wanted to win for the manager as well. It was his last home game and he has done a lot for the club, managed to come and give the team some trophies.”
On tonight’s game, Sagna is convinced that the Hammers have enough about them to inadvertently do City a favour in their final game at the Boleyn Ground.
He added: “West Ham are a quality team, especially at home. They managed to beat the big teams there this season, they have done well at home so if they can win the game it will be good for us.”
Elsewhere, Italian publication Gazzetta Dello Sport reports that Roberto Mancini’s hopes of reuniting with Yaya Toure at Inter in the summer have diminished.
Suhayl Al Sammari has the story: “With the Ivorian expected to leave Manchester City at the end of the season, speculation has mounted that the midfielder will join the Nerrazzurri over the summer, but such a deal looks to have been put on hold.
“Although Mancini is desperate to reunite with the midfielder he worked with during his spell at City, Inter have reservations about the viability of a deal. The four-time African Footballer of the Year has been a target for Mancini for over a year, but the coach looks set to miss out on his man.
“Toure will be 33 by the end of the season and it is felt that he would not offer a suitable long-term option. Instead, the Biscione will focus on their efforts to bring in Lazio midfielder Lucas Biglia.”
Finally for today, some opposition team news ahead of Sunday’s decisive showdown at Swansea.
The South Wales Evening Post have revealed that a host of frontline Swans players will be missing from the line-up, including their goalkeeper.
The story reads: “Fabianski has revealed he will miss Swansea City’s final-day clash with Manchester City as he takes a break before Euro 2016.
“At one stage the Poland international had seemed set to join Ashley Williams, Neil Taylor and Gylfi Sigurdsson in sitting out last weekend’s win over West Ham United as well as the City clash.
“Fabianski opted to play at the Boleyn Ground, but he will be absent as Francesco Guidolin’s men bring the curtain down on the season next Sunday.”
