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Preview: Manchester City v Swansea City

Can the little guys keep the run going?
Can the little guys keep the run going?
Alex Livesey

I gotta be honest, this is going to be tough match for me. Ever since I took Swansea to win the Champion's League in the year 2018, I've had a real soft spot for them. They even named the new stadium after me. It was beautiful.

Ok, so maybe that happened in Football Manager. Even, so, I do enjoy watching them play. It's been tough to watch them lately, since they have only won one of their last 7 matches. Along the way they've been beaten by Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, and West Brom, while managing to draw against Southampton and Norwich.

The Swansea squad is looking a little gassed right now. They got off to such a great start to the season, and even though they're in 9th place, they are only 5 points away from the relegation zone (albeit with a game in hand). Considering that every place higher they finish is another 500k pounds, it would be worth their while to hold onto that extra few million.

Unfortunately, they're going up against a Manchester City side with the right attitude. Even with the terrible loss to Tottenham, we've still won 5 out of the last 6 matches. We've got very winnable games left, and I expect to see players going all out to prove that they belong at the club.

In addition to the players looking to keep their first team squad status, I think that we might get a chance to see a few of the younger players over the next few matches.

Important point to keep in mind - we only beat Swansea 1-0 at home this season, with Carlos Tevez providing a moment of brilliance to get all the points. Last season we whomped Swansea 4-0, before losing a key late season match 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea have played pretty average at home this season, winning 6, drawing 7, and losing 4. They've dropped a lot of big points at home.

Stars against West Ham

Samir Nasri - played a great game last time, showing how dominant of a playmaker he can be. He even put a good effort in on defense, which was surprising. Even though he missed a point blank chance, he still looked solid. I think that at this point if Mancini stays, he goes; there could be a scenario where the opposite happens.

Yaya Toure - combined well with the little people up front, and had a beautiful shot that sealed the match against West Ham. If we can get another world class player to play next to him, our central midfield will be dominant for years to come.

Stars against Swansea?

I think that this is the type of match that Tevez and Sergio Aguero can dominate. With an injury looking likely to keep Chico Flores out, we might have a great chance to run the defense ragged.

David Silva - No one is looking forward to the summer more than David Silva. He has looked absolutely exhausted at points through the season. He has played so many matches for team and country, without a real break since the summer 2011 (when he came out of the gate on fire). I think that his pride will make him want to finish strong.

All in all, I expect the City run to continue, with a solid performance away to Swansea. 3-1 for City.