Manchester City Hope To Delay Title Surrender

[Folami David]

Manchester City can delay the inevitable by beating fifth-place Tottenham on Sunday in the Premier League.
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Manchester United, who lead City by 13 points, can clinch their 20th English title with a victory at home to Aston Villa on Monday if City lose at White Hart Lane.
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City have saved some of their best form for the latter stages of the season, winning six of their last seven league matches, but the team will not be as fresh as Tottenham, who have been on a 10-day break since being knocked out of the Europa League quarterfinals.
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Physical edge may not be the only factor as Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who used to play for City, predicted that his opponents will start fighting each other on the field if things don't go their way.
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"If we put them under pressure we have a chance to win for sure," said Adebayor, who clashed with coach Roberto Mancini when he played for City and was made to play with the youth team.
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"I was there and whenever things are not going their way there will definitely be a fight or an argument on the pitch and that is how we can take them down."
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Tottenham have not won a game this calendar year in which winger Gareth Bale has not scored and head coach Andre Villas-Boas will be hoping his star player recovers from an ankle injury in time for Sunday's match.
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A City win would also put a huge dent in Tottenham's Champions League ambitions with the North London club currently two points behind fourth-place Arsenal, having played one game less, and three points behind Chelsea in third.
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Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez returns to the club he led to the 2005 Champions League title on Sunday as the Blues travel to Liverpool hoping to consolidate their strong position in the race for the league's top four.
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A grueling fixture list could hamper Chelsea's chances as they try to maintain a challenge on two fronts in the Premier League and the Europa League, where they have reached the semifinals.
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After Liverpool, Benitez's team still has to face Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton, as well as relegation-threatened Aston Villa.
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"We're obviously in the semifinals of the Europa League but realistically we want to be playing Champions League football, that's what it's about for this football club," said captain John Terry, who scored two goals in a 3-0 win over Fulham on Wednesday.
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"It's a busy schedule because we play on a Thursday (in the Europa League) and I think we have about four games in 10 days or something like that, but we've got the squad, the manager's rotating and everybody's playing a part."
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will also be a familiar face to his opponent on Sunday after previously coaching Chelsea's reserve and youth sides.
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Ten points adrift of fourth place, the Reds' hopes of qualifying for the Champions League appear to be over, but Liverpool will be motivated by closing the gap on local rival Everton, who are currently six points ahead in sixth.
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Everton travel to relegation-threatened Sunderland on the back of a goalless draw against Arsenal, who face a trip Fulham.