Swansea vs Manchester City match report: Champions League qualification secured by Man City with draw

Swansea 1 Manchester City 1: Kelechi Iheanacho on target for City before Andre Ayew equaliser

Iheanacho celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game (Getty)

Manuel Pellegrini said an emotional goodbye to Manchester City on Sunday with the job of securing Champions League football for next season as good as done. There is still the mathematical possibility of Manchester United beating Bournemouth 19-0 or more when their match is replayed, which would lift United into fourth and relegate Manchester City into next season’s Europa League. But it is not likely.

The events at Old Trafford coloured the whole day, as they did at football grounds across England. The possibility was even discussed here of delaying the match so as for this game to finish at the same time as United’s, although when that game was cancelled this was one started at 3pm.

The fact that even now only 379 games of this Premier League season have been played means that Manchester City could not quite drive home with their place in the August play-off round of the Champions League formally confirmed.

But there was still a tangible sense of the job having been completed when the game ended at 1-1. It was a match rather fitting of their whole season: too open at the back, not enough control in midfield and not quite sharp enough up front. But they got the job done, and when Pellegrini threw his suit jacket into the away end he looked like a man satisfied with how he has left the club he took over in 2013.

Pellegrini was emotional and there were also farewells for City players who may not be retained by Pep Guardiola this summer. Yaya Toure came on in injury time to see the draw through to its conclusion and this will surely be the end of his glittering time in Manchester. Pep Guardiola will not have been watching this game, given his spent the afternoon celebrating his third straight Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. But when he watches the DVD he will have seen a set of players who will certainly benefit from his firm guidance next season.

Manuel Pellegrini chose the same 11 players who drew 2-2 with Arsenal last Sunday, and the game went the same way. City had numbers and intent going forward but, with no Yaya Toure or David Silva in midfield, there was not enough control or patience against a side good enough to open them up.

Manchester City flew forward from the start and took the first chance that they created. Kevin De Bruyne broke down to the left by-line and pulled the ball back, Sergio Aguero’s shot hit Kristoffer Nordfeldt and the rebound was tapped in by Kelech Iheanacho. The goal was initially disallowed for offside, only to be reallowed by Mike Dean as Angel Rangel was lying on the ground near the goal.

Once ahead, Manchester City pushed for a second, but lacked the precision to score it. Jesus Navas played in Aguero who shot into the side-netting. Iheanacho shot over, De Bruyne shot at Nordfeldt, then so did Aguero, who should have done better. The visitors lacked control but were always dangerous on the break and when De Bruyne volleyed a brilliant pass out to Navas, he could have expected a return ball, rather than Navas curling an ambitious shot wide.

But Swansea City, even without three of their best players, were good enough to obvious gaps in Pellegrini’s side. Andre Ayew was dangerous as a mobile front man and was well-supported by Jefferson Montero on the left. The Ecuadorean winger was unfortunate to have a headed equaliser disallowed for only slight contact with Bacary Sagna at the far post.

Swansea had to ride their luck at the back, but in Leroy Fer, Leon Britton and Jack Cork they had a midfield to out-number Fernando and Fernandinho. So it proved, just before the break, when Swansea equalised. Nicolas Otamendi charged out of defence and fouled Britton. Ayew took the free-kick, it hit Fernando and flew into the top corner. Joe Hart had no chance.

Conceding was what Manchester City deserved, for missing their chances and allowing too many to Swansea. It gave them the prospect of an anxious second-half, knowing that a defeat would open fourth place back up for Manchester United back when their match against Bournemouth was replayed.

At first, Pellegrini pushed on, with the same open formation. This meant that Manchester City still created chances, but their forwards still looked disjointed in the final third. Iheanacho, whose touch deserted him after his opening goal, scuffed City’s two best openings while Aguero, almost too keen to score as he pursued the Golden Boot, snatched at another good chance.

There were only 18 minutes left when Pellegrini finally brought on an extra midfielder, as Samir Nasri replaced the mis-firing Iheanacho and gave City a way to keep the ball. They moved comfortably through the game’s final stages, knowing that fourth was as good as secured. Swansea did not have much motivation to disrupt them and when the game ended both teams treated it as a win, the City players going over to their fans first, celebrating fourth, before the Swansea players had their own lap of appreciation after stabilising their own season to finish mid-table. Both teams will hope for more next year.

Swansea City (4-1-4-1); Nordfeldt 5; Rangel 6, Fernandez 6, Amat 7, Kingsley 6; Britton 7; Routledge 5 (Barrow, 58, 5), Cork 6, Fer 6, Montero 6 (Gomis, 82); Ayew 7

Manchester City (4-4-2) Hart 6; Sagna 7, Otamendi 6, Mangala 6, Clichy 7; Navas 6, Fernandinho 6, Fernando 5, De Bruyne 7; Iheanacho 6 (Nasri, 72), Aguero 5 (Toure, 90)

MoM: Sagna

Match rating: 6