MCFC 2012/2013: Manchester City v West Ham United

DATE: 27/04/13

KICK OFF: 12.45pm

VENUE: Etihad Stadium

PREDICTION: 2-0

Preview

With the title race officially done and dusted, will we see the blues return to their old winning ways?

Robin Van Persie fired a stunning first half hat-trick to seal United's 20th Premier League title last week and hammer the final nail into the coffin of City's fading title dream. However, both teams have reasons to kick on with second place and relegation slots still unconfirmed.

Mancini's men go into the game on the back of a disappointing 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. The citizens were carved open in 8 minutes by the Champions League chasing Londoners are their performance will worry Mancini who has urged a huge response from his team. The date also marks the tenth anniversary of the tragic death of Marc Vivien-Foe. If that isn't a good enough reason to pull a performance out of the hat, I don't know what is.

The Hammers will also be playing for Marc. The Cameroonian international had a spell at the club in 1999 and both sets of fans will join in paying tribute to the gentle giant. Allardyce's side are unbeaten in five, including draws with Liverpool and Manchester United, and plan to add to City's misery on Saturday afternoon.

David Silva and James Milner have been declared fit to play and will indubitably provide City with a needed boost in Saturday's early kick off. With fans and manager expecting a performance, the blues remain under pressure to kick on.

Come on City!

Line-Up

The return of Milner and Silva will allow Mancini to field his strongest midfield, however, with the FA Cup final in mind and the title over, we may see a few players rested.

Kolo Toure has announced that he will leave at the end of the season, citing a lack of first team opportunities as the reason for his departure. With only five games left in the league, we may see the Ivorian hold down a place in the defence until the final.

Whilst rotation is a strong possibility as City near their FA Cup final date with Wigan, fans will be expecting to see the strongest line-up possible as the blues look to secure second place.

Head to Head

West Ham's last win against the blues was in 2009 thanks to a Jack Collison goal. Since then, City have recorded 3 wins in 5 against the Hammers. The reverse tie at Upton Park dealt an early blow in City's title ambitions as they were held to a goalless draw.

History certainly favours the citizens on home turf. With 29 wins from 43 games, Mancini's men will be looking to maintain their impressive home record against Allardyce's side.

Key Men

Carlos Tevez

Yep, it's him again. City's stand out performer of the latter half of the season faces his old side today and will yet again be instrumental in the manner of City's performance. Aguero and Dzeko are unlikely to feature for very different reasons so we could see the Argentine up top on his own.

Andy Carroll

Defenders are aware of the problems Carroll's height and aerial ability can cause, but still have no way of combatting it. The Geordie has a fine record against the blues and will look to bully City's defence with his powerful attributes.

Fantasy Premier League Leaders

Carlos Tevez 158 points

Joe Hart 132 points

David Silva 131 points