Aguero set to fire City towards Liverpool
The Argentine striker can make his first start in over a month to boost the Blues goal difference and move them closer to the top of the table.
Mike Keegan
City can strike a blow back in a thrilling title race by thumping rock-bottom Sunderland tonight.
And boss Manuel Pellegrini is set to unleash Sergio Aguero in a bid to boost the Blues goal difference.
City are reeling after Liverpool's 3-2 win at Anfield on Sunday.
But boss Pellegrini still reckons the title drama will go down to the last day. And a goal bonanza against beleaguered Gus Poyet's men at the Etihad could help ensure that if City finish level on points with either Chelsea or Liverpool they will take the crown.
The Blues' goal difference is already three better than Brendan Rodgers' side and 12 more than Chelsea. A glut of goals tonight could take them out of sight should the title come down to goal difference like it did when they pipped United in 2012. With that in mind
Pellegrini is set to start with Aguero after the striker came off the bench on Sunday following his recent injury.
And he could line up alongside Edin Dzeko as the Blues look to fire out a defiant message to their title rivals.
The Black Cats have lost eight of their last nine matches and look set to fall through the Premier League trap door.
City skipper Vincent Kompany has also handed Pellegrini a boost by declaring himself fit after picking up a whack on his knee in training on Saturday.
On Saturday morning the Blues' campaign to become champions went into tailspin when reports Vincent Kompany had taken a nasty whack in training emerged.
The conspiracy theorists were out in force.
Some claimed it was a put up job by the club to put doubts in Liverpool's minds, others reckoned the City skipper was out for the season and maybe even the World Cup.
But on Sunday, albeit with strapping above the knee in question, Kompany started and finished the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool.
Even then, questions continued to be asked, admittedly on the back of an uncharacteristically poor performance.
Those questions were emphatically answered by Manuel Pellegrini, who confirmed that Kompany had trained as normal and was fit for tonight's key clash with Sunderland.
"Vincent is OK," said the manager. "He is fit. He is in the squad."
Still there were more questions. Did he regret picking him? Was his injury to blame for a nightmare afternoon?
"He started the game because he is the captain," he said.
"He gave all the proof before the game. He said he was ok and the doctor said that, so I don't regret that."
One thing Pellegrini will regret is the injury to Yaya Toure. An afternoon that had started poorly went from bad to worse when the influential Ivorian limped out of the action after just 19 minutes with his team already 1-0 down.
Once again the rumour mill went into overdrive with some suggesting Toure could be out for the rest of the campaign.
But Pellegrini had more good news on that front.
"Yaya has a muscle injury," he said.
"We will see with the doctor how many days.
"Maybe it is not so hard as we thought at the beginning but I think he needs at least 10 days or two weeks to recover."
Gallery: City 3 Sunderland 1
He believes he has the squad to handle losing Toure.
"I have a lot of confidence because I know what the players can give," he said.
"We have played the whole season with a lot of injuries."
Sergio Aguero will step up his comeback against Gus Poyet's out-of-form side and could be in line for a start after coming off the bench at Anfield.
As always, Pellegrini would not be drawn on his line-up.
"Sergio is in the squad," he said. "We will see the 11 starters."
Sunderland, who City defeated in the Capital One Cup final, are in the midst of a poor run of form having lost EIGHT of their last NINE matches.
They are rooted to the bottom of the table and would appear to be
certainties for the drop as they are seven points from safety albeit with two games in hand.
But Pellegrini believes the Mackems' malaise could spell problems for the Blues.
"Playing against a team in a relegation position is very difficult," he said.
"That is why I said we have to play six games and Chelsea and Liverpool have to play four games so nobody can think one of those games will be easy.
"We play here at home, they are in a difficult moment, but I am sure they will try to fight to the end to continue in the Premier League."
Pellegrini does not think the visitors will have extra motivation following their 3-1 Wembley defeat which gave City the first silverware of the season.
"I think the position that they are in the table is more dangerous than a match that was one month ago," he said.
"It is logical that they had a lot of motivation to win that cup but I think we have one month and 10 days from that game.
"It is an important thing that Sunderland is in a very bad position and they know they have to win so they will be a very dangerous game for us tonight."
Predicted XI: Hart, Kolarov, Kompany, Demichelis, Zabaleta, Garcia, Fernandinho, Nasri, Navas, Silva, Aguero
Capital One Cup final
Manuel Pellegrini