Manchester City at a crossroads

Any Manchester derby is an occasion to savour regardless of what is at stake, but Yaya Toure believes Thursday’s meeting at the Etihad has the potential to be something extra — a Champions League play-off which could shape of the future of both clubs.

City, who have sat comfortably above their rivals for most of the season, have suddenly woken up to the feeling that United, like a stalking rival on the last lap of a 10,000m race, have come from nowhere to hover ominously behind them ahead of the final straight.

United’s progress hasn’t exactly been spectacular, it has been hindered by poor performances, frustrating home draws and injuries to big players, most recently their talisman striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but nevertheless they haven’t lost in 23 league games, a run stretching all the way back to October 2016, and go into Thursday’s key fixture in a better psychological state than their opponents who are still feeling the pain of an FA Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal.

The table shows Jose Mourinho’s side are only one point behind their bitter rivals with a similar goal difference and could end the night above them in fourth place.

In fact, with Liverpool starting to wobble they may even believe the top three is not out of their reach.

By contrast City, having suffered FA Cup heartache, are still coming to terms with the realisation that for the first time in Pep Guardiola’s entire coaching career, he will fail to lift a trophy this year; so it’s not outrageous to consider the pre-season title favourites could end up out of the top four all together if they fail to cope with that burden.

“We cannot let that happen,” said Toure.

“We have to recover because we need to be in the Champions League. It’s not possible for us to miss it. City have qualified for the Champions League for six years now and that makes Thursday’s match very important. It is always a special game but this time it is even more. For me this game against United is a final.”

Toure has been at City since 2010 and although reports suggest this may well be his last season, he still feels the intensity of derby day more than most.

“It’s a big, big derby,” he said.

“There will be 22 big players on the pitch and we are playing against a big manager. It’s going to be a battle. But we need to come back, we need to win because we want to be there in the top three.”

Perhaps the one consolation for City is that they aren’t the only team wobbling in the race for European places.

Liverpool’s home defeat against Crystal Palace has left Jurgen Klopp’s side feeling nervous and there is an argument that Guardiola’s side have a more favourable run-in than United, who must also play two Europa League semi-final games against Celta Vigo as well as six Premier League fixtures before the end of May.

“I still think the situation is looking good but we have to be careful,” said Toure.

“Yes, Liverpool lost but we have to make sure we win the games we have coming up. It’s going to be difficult to be honest — very tight — because United are doing well.

"Arsenal are going to get confidence now and although Liverpool lost they are not finished yet. So it’s going to be very tough and close. We have to ready.”

Perhaps the key is how City, who will face United without talisman David Silva after he picked up a hamstring injury at Wembley, react to the disappointments of a defeat in London which ended their hopes of silverware and left an air of negativity hanging over the club.

“Against Arsenal it was tough because of the decisions of the referee and the things that went against us,” said Toure.

“But that’s football. Sometimes everything goes against you — we hit the bar, a penalty was not allowed, a goal not allowed. Sometimes you have to just accept and move on. So we need this victory against United, we need it.”

There was also a feeling on Sunday that Guardiola lost the tactical battle against a rival manager as Arsene Wenger altered the shape and style of his team to grind out a physical victory; and there is every reason to think Mourinho will look to achieve something similar on Thursday.

“We all respect Mourinho, he’s a great manager,” insisted Toure.

“He’s always worked well with his tactics. We are looking forward to a great derby. We know it will be tough but we play at home so we need to get three points. The season is not finished.”

For his part, United midfielder Ander Herrera has billed Thursday’s derby duel as a potential make-or-break “game of the season”.

Herrera said: “It is going to be the game of the season. We are one point behind them.

“If we win we have the chance to finish in the top four, if they win it is going to be very difficult. It is the game of the season.

“Make or break? Probably.

“I don’t know the ‘winner takes all’ expression but it is going to be a massive game.”