Manchester City face Fulham on the final day of the Premier League season, knowing just a point will almost certainly secure them UEFA Champions League football next season.
For City not to qualify with a point, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Aston Villa would need to usurp City’s goal difference, which in Villa’s case means they need to beat the defeated Europa League finalists Manchester United by 15 clear goals (though if any team can lose 15-0 at home…)
But a win would secure third place and could draw City level on points with second place Arsenal if they lose to Southampton, which, after a disappointing season for the Blues, would be a good end result in my opinion.
Here are five things to look out for from the final City match this season:
A final goodbye for KDB (and a few others)
Manchester City FC v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
We are lucky enough to get to see Kevin de Bruyne play one more time for Manchester City.
The Belgian international was given his sign off at the Etihad Stadium after City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth, where he was treated to a fantastic lights show, a tribute video from former City legends and gifts including a mosaic and news of a statue built in his honour.
But he has one last game to play. If there was nothing riding on it, De Bruyne may have been left out of this game so his final match was at home, like Pablo Zabaleta was in 2017 or Jamie Vardy for Leicester City last week.
But as it is, City go into the game with it all still at stake, so Pep Guardiola will want his captain available for one last time.
Nico’s chance to shine
Manchester City FC v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
Mateo Kovacic’s red card for pulling Evanilson back when he was through on goal means he has a one match ban and will miss the rest of the season.
Reports from Croatia mean he could be absent for another two or three months if he chooses to have an operation on the foot injury that has been plaguing him of late.
If that’s the case, he should be back for the start of the season but during the Club World Cup, City will be short of a defensive midfielder for as long as Rodri remains unavailable to start.
Step forward Nico Gonzalez. The Spaniard has had some excellent performances at City and some less good ones, meaning he’s been left out of games recently.
But following Kovacic’s red card, Nico came on instantly, and was heavily involved. He made numerous good defensive midfield actions, was fouled for Lewis Cook’s red card and added his name to the scoresheet late on with an exceptional finish.
I think the 23-year-old should start against Fulham, and with Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan next to him, he may well have the licence to attack more and get involved with the goals again.
More rotation on the bench
Manchester City Training And Press Conference - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off First Leg Photo by Dennis Agyeman / Europa Press Sports via Getty Images
Against Bournemouth, we saw the likes of James McAtee, Rico Lewis, Savinho and Abdukodir Khusanov miss out on the bench.
City’s squad is too big at the moment, with Guardiola saying leaving out players was “hurting his soul.”
But with just one game to go this season that issue will hopefully soon change, with more players leaving this summer than the four expected arrivals.
For now though, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see two or more of the names above on the bench against Fulham. Kovacic’s suspension frees one place, and perhaps someone like Oscar Bobb, Jeremy Doku or Matheus Nunes could take their turn in the rotation to create space on the bench for a player from the abyss.
Jimenez and Traore…
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Pre-Season Training Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
I can imagine just seeing their names caused you even a slight bit of alarm. Or maybe it’s just me.
When a point is needed to get it over the line and considering the season the Blues have had up to this point, you just wouldn’t put it past Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez to stick the knife into City one final time.
These two have had the knack of combining to score against City since their Wolverhampton Wanderers days. In the reverse fixture, Jimenez set up a goal with a remarkable piece of skill and Traore ran the City backline ragged.
Given the way this season has gone, you wouldn’t put it past them to get one over City when they need it the least.
One last push before the summer
FBL-ENG-FACUP-CRYSTAL PALACE-MAN CITY
One last time, one push is needed for City to secure third place, which in their supposed “worst season” in one and a half decades, isn’t bad at all.
Considering that they could be in 16th place and desperately needing to sell players for funds, it could be worse, and I also believe they’re a shuffle of the pack away from being competitive again.
One more game left this season, where we’ll hopefully see more Rodri minutes, another solid performance and the ultimate goal of Champions League football achieved, so City can move onto next season and go back stronger next year.