Man City's down and out, or is it bound and determined?

Despite putting almost all their eggs in the Champions League basket, Man City crashed out against Real Madrid, losing Vincent Kompany yet again to injury. The Belgian limped off just ten minutes in, having reaggravated the same calf injury that has Diabied him all season. On one hand, there's reason to celebrate ahead of our trip to the Etihad: a depleted, depressed squad will greet us. On the other, there's ample reason to worry: that same squad now has to fight a bit to stay in contention for a Champions League spot. Would it have been better for our own fortunes had the Citizens advanced to the final?

Rivals' Rundown: can Arsenal overtake Man City?

Another brilliant week keeps us level on points with Man City while humiliations galore accrue to José Mou, and Arsenal alone, at least for this week, look ascendant. For the sake of simplicity going forward, I'm going to focus on the four clubs most likely to challenge for the Prem title. While that slate will undergo changes over time, it's safe to assume that we can for now overlook Leicester and West Ham, but it does also mean that we've have to keep a wary eye on Liverpool, who look a bit livelier under Klopp. Before we get too deep into details, let's savor the bigger picture...