Swansea City vs Manchester City. Premier League.
Swansea.com StadiumAttendance20,934.
Sunday 15 May 2016 15:53, UK
Manchester City can guarantee Pep Guardiola Champions League football next season if they avoid defeat against Swansea on Sunday.
After drawing with Arsenal last weekend, City's top-four chances were out of their own hands, only for Manchester United to hand the initiative back following their defeat to West Ham in midweek.
City now enter the final round of fixtures two points ahead of United, who are at home to Bournemouth, and with a far superior goal difference over their city rivals (plus 18).
Therefore a draw would be enough for City, who will bid farewell to manager Manuel Pellegrini ahead of Guardiola's summer arrival.
Swansea, though, have finished the season strongly under Francesco Guidolin, who recently signed a new two-year deal to keep him at the Liberty.
The Swans have beaten West Ham, Liverpool and Chelsea over the last month and have won their last four home matches, conceding just once. They could finish as high as 10th with victory.
Team news
City have been handed a potential boost as Swansea will rest their four Euro 2016 representatives.
Skipper Ashley Williams, Neil Taylor and Gylfi Sigurdsson all missed last weekend's 4-1 win at West Ham, and Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski now joins them in getting a breather ahead of this summer's European Championship.
Sweden goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt will make his Premier League debut in a Swansea side also set to be without Jefferson Montero and Alberto Paloschi (both hamstrings) again.
Manchester City left-back Aleksandar Kolarov faces a fitness test after missing last weekend's draw with Arsenal with a muscular injury.
Captain Vincent Kompany (thigh), playmaker David Silva (hamstring) and right-back Pablo Zabaleta (calf) are all missing. Midfielder Samir Nasri is back in contention after recovering from the illness which prevented him playing a full part in training last week.
Opta stats
Wilfried Bony has scored in both of his Premier League matches against former club Swansea City. Bony also scored three goals in his last two appearances in this fixture for Swansea against Man City.
City have won six and lost none of their last seven Premier League meetings with Swansea.
Swansea have conceded just three goals in their last seven Premier League games at the Liberty Stadium.
City have won only one of their six final-day Premier League games that they have played away from home (D2 L3).
Sergio Aguero has scored in six Premier League games in a row, his longest ever run in the competition.
Swansea could become the second team to beat Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United at home in a single Premier League season, after Blackburn in 1993/94.
Merson's prediction
I think there will be a twist in the games between United and City. Swansea will give City a game and it will be nervy the whole way. If it's 1-1 then it will be nervy because a late Swansea goal would knock City out of the top four.
There is a lot to play for and everybody wants to win their last home game, that sells season tickets. Swansea have been in quite good form too, beating West Ham and Liverpool recently.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
Betting
Swansea City are 19/4 to throw a spanner into the works and beat Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season.
City are 8/15 to complete the job with a win at the Liberty and the draw can be backed at 100/30. Andre Ayew has been in good form for the Swans and is 15/2 to score first, with Sergio Aguero (3/1) and Kelechi Iheanacho (9/2) considered most likely for the away side.
