Man City facing Premier League problem as vulnerability exposed

Manchester City suddenly look vulnerable again.

The Blues failed to find a way past a resolute but limited Southampton side on Saturday and with it spurned a huge chance to put one foot in next season's Champions League.

The 0-0 draw allowed Newcastle United to overtake City and move into third while Aston Villa's win at Bournemouth propelled them back into the top five thinking.

Only six points separate Arsenal in second and Nottingham Forest in seventh with two games remaining. All could still mathematically finish in or out of the top five and for all City's good work in recent weeks, the stalemate on the south coast has increased the pressure.

Pep Guardiola's side have an FA Cup final to focus on this weekend, the result of which will have a significant bearing on how the campaign is viewed as well as the momentum heading into the final top flight fixtures of the season at home to Bournemouth on Tuesday and away to Fulham on the final day.

Both of those matches fall into the awkward category and yet City could need victories in both to secure a top five spot, and almost certainly will need to win at least one them.

The Blues have a two point buffer to Chelsea and Villa and three to Forest. The latter have faltered in recent weeks and play Chelsea on the final day - meaning there will be dropped points somewhere. Enzo Maresca's side take on Manchester United on Friday, with Ruben Amorim's team woefully out of form domestically and with more than one eye on their Europa League final against Tottenham next week.

Aston Villa play both Europa League finalists in their final two matches, presenting a real opportunity for Unai Emery's side to take maximum points and put the pressure on those above them to earn