The Carling Cup: once the competition most likely to yield silverware but following last season's successes now very firmly last on the list of priorities.

Roberto Mancini though has been talking positively about the competition, keen to avoid coming unstuck in the manner that the side did at this stage of the competition last season away to West Brom.

That night Mancini made multiple changes from the previous Premier League game and is once again expected to do so; the potential for changing the entire side from the one that drew at Fulham is a very real one but the likelihood is that a couple who featured at Craven Cottage will see some action tonight.

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There is no doubting that home form is going to be key. Given the strength of the Group and the fact that teams appear relatively evenly matched and certainly capable of taking points from one another then the ability to post a strong return from the three home fixtures will go a long way to deciding your fate.

If ten points is generally considered the benchmark for qualification then a return of seven points from games at The Etihad Stadium will likely be enough, which of course lends an even greater weight to tonights fixture.

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Here's a link to the preview I did over at EPL Index comparing the wide men for Bolton and City, specifically to look at the contrasting nature of the two sets of players: Bolton's the more traditional style of wide player, City's the more modern, 'inside out' style - more prone to drifting in, switching wings and joining forces with a lone striker.

I also looked at the head to head stats from both sides first games of the season:

	David Silva	Adam Johnson	Martin Petrov	Chris Eagles
Shots	4	1	3	1
Passes	45/49	26/29	33/42	28/39
Passing %	92%	90%	79%	72%
Thorugh-balls	0/2	0/1	0/0	0/0
Crosses	0/2	1/5	2/4	1/1
Assists	0	0	0	1
Goals	1	0	0	0
Chances	4	5	4	0
Possession duels	4/10	4/9	1/3	7/13
Successful dribbles	2	3	0	3
Turnovers	2	0	3	2
Dispossed	2	2	1	2

 
There were a couple of interesting areas, showing that City's duo of David Silva and Adam Johnson were far more interchangeable and fluid than the Bolton pairing of Chris Eagles and Martin Petrov, reflected too in these Guardian Chalkboards:

 by Guardian Chalkboards  by Guardian Chalkboards

Do check the article out over at EPL Index.

With Champions League qualification now having been assured with victory against Tottenham, focus now turns to the FA Cup, of course City's first since 1981.

A common question as the season progressed (as it was last season) posed by fans was whether Champions League qualification or hoisting a trophy was the more preferable. The consensus view seemed to be that a top four finish seemed to be the majority choice, almost certainly down to the fact that the importance and long term benefits that Champions League participation brings outweighs the more short-term success that winning a Cup competition offers.

However, and there are a number of reasons for this, but now the FA Cup Final is upon us, there is a feeling that this is undoubtedly the more important and there is no doubt that attention very quickly moved on from Tuesday towards the prospect of Wembley.

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A quick stat hit ahead of the game today, which, if City win will heap the pressure on Tottenham who go up against Blackpool later in the day:

• Everton have won six of the last seven games between the two sides.
• Everton have only failed to score in one of the last 14 Premier League meetings with City, but have failed to score more than twice during this time.
• When scoring first, Everton post a record of W10 D5 L1, but have only one win (W1 D8 L8) when falling behind.
• Everton are most likely to score between minutes 31-45 and 76-90 (13 apiece) and most likely to concede between mins 61-75 (14).
• Everton have made more successful crosses from open play (173) than any other side and are more likely to hit long balls (averaging 69/420 per game) than City, who average 430 short passes per game (out of a total of 510).
• Tim Cahill has opened the scoring in three of the last four games he has started against City.
• Everton have W3 D2 L1 of their past six home games.
• City's win at Blackburn arrested a run of three successive away defeats.
• They will however, be bidding to win three consecutive Premier League games for the first time this season.
• Nine of City's wins this season have come by a one-goal margin.
• City have scored eight deflected goals this season, the most in the Premier League.
• City are most likely to score between minutes 1-15 and 61-75 (12 each) and concede between minutes 76-90 (11).
• City have dropped just nine points when scoring first this season, but have taken only four points when falling behind.
• City have scored just two headed goals in the Premier League this season; no side have managed fewer.

Do comment away below, and also check out SBNation's Everton blog, RBMersey.

A huge opportunity then. Tottenham's contentious defeat at Stamford Bridge earlier today means that victory tomorrow will City see open up a seven-point lead with just four games remaining. Not unassailable (especially with the May 10th fixture still to come) but it would need a mighty collapse for City not to go on and lock up fourth spot should they come away with the points tomorrow.

West Ham come into the game on the back of four successive defeats and with just four games remaining are in danger of slipping out of the Premier League, but with results elsewhere so far know that a win could lift them out of the bottom three.

West Ham's  away record this season far from suggests they are capable of springing a surprise win however, winning just 2 of their 17 games on the road this season - and have also never won at The City of Manchester Stadium. They also rank low amongst the Premier League in terms of goals, ranking 17th in goals for (39) and 18th in goals against (61). A note of caution however: City have failed to win back to back Premier League games since New Years Day.

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Contrasting fortunes heading into the game then. United, buoyed by Champions League progression and with hopes high of a treble with one hand already clasped around the Premier League trophy.

City on the other hand go into the game on the back of a miserable evening at Anfield, where the performance as much (perhaps moreso) was far more of a concern. They also saw captain and talismanic figure Carlos Tevez limped from the field, out of action for the best part of a month with a hamstring injury.

In many ways the season really does start here. The work put into getting the side into this position with a chance of silverware and Champions League qualification should not be viewed lightly, but in the short-term, the next month could have far reaching ramifications for the long-term.

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A tough evening (or early evening given the 6pm kick-off) awaits then as City bid to overturn what a 2-0 deficit from last weeks first leg in Kiev.

The evidence of the first leg suggests it will be a difficult task indeed, as without an away goal City will be mindful that should Kiev score just once they will need to score four goals (without the cushion of a possible extra-time period) to progress. Even without Artem Milevsky, who looked dangerous last week, Kiev do look very capable of scoring.

If City are to progress however, hopes rest with the trio of Nigel de Jong, David Silva and Carlos Tevez. It is imperative that City get off to a fast start, and in City's favour the statistics suggest they are more than capable of that. Tevez of course sets the pace and tone for the attack, a whirling dervish of a player who when on form aligns effervesence with a clinical eye for goal.

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