Article By Richard Butterworth
If Manchester City are to make a success of this season, the time starts now.
The majority of the remaining fixtures highlight the importance of City’s run in. If we are to go further in the Europa League we’ll have to do it the hard way against a strong Dynamo Kiev team, who are without their talisman Artem Milevskiy.
If we are to finish in a Champions League spot our destiny is in our own hands with games against Chelsea and Tottenham. The fixture against Tottenham is particularly interesting, City are in a good position to exercise the demons of last years game against Spurs. A loss to Spurs however could result in a déjà vu of last year’s disappointment of having to settle for Europa League football for another year.
Qualifying for the Champions League this year would also qualify as real progress for City. With a fifth place finish last season and the acquisitions of this summer, the squads development can only really be labelled as a success by City playing Champions League football next year.
There is also the impending FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, which is probably going to be the biggest derby in recent memory. The tie sets up the chance for City’s first FA Cup final since 1981 and a chance to finally end the wait for a major trophy, but not only that to beat United in doing so would be a sweet victory. If we beat United then Stoke or Bolton await, and no disrespect intended to either club but you would fancy City against either of these teams in the final.
City also have to contend with tricky fixtures away at Liverpool and Everton. The game against bogey team Everton in particular could prove to be an acid test type game, in which City could display just how far they have come or just how far they have yet to go.
4 Comments