Blackburn need all the points they can get in their bid to beat the drop and can add to their tally on Monday night.
Rovers face Manchester City in the final Premier League fixture of a crucial Easter weekend and a win for the hosts would see them move clear of the relegation zone. It won’t be easy, but the away side have been wretched on their travels in 2011 and Blackburn will fancy their chances.
Manchester City’s aim at the start of the campaign was to secure Champion League football next term with a top four finish but with that look increasingly likely by the week, their main rivals Tottenham were held by West Brom on Saturday, it would be no surprise to see the focus now switch towards the FA Cup final.
City take on Stoke on May 14th in the Wembley showpiece following their excellent display in getting the better of rivals Manchester United in the last four but Roberto Mancini’s men have been in awful form away from Eastlands since the turn of the year and a point would probably satisfy the Italian.
It is now 10 matches since Mancini saw his team win on the road and, with Carlos Tevez still on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, City do lack a cutting edge without their Argentine captain.
Having not triumphed in the top flight since way back at the end of January, it is not easy to make a case for siding with Blackburn on Monday but a closer look at their Ewood Park form suggests they are capable of earning at least a share of the spoils and I think Manchester City can be opposed at a little under even money.
Rovers have been beaten just once this calendar year in front of their own fans, a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, and if Blackburn are to survive then it will be their remaining matches in the north-west that could prove the difference.
With a decent goal difference compared to those around them, one more win for Steve Kean’s side will probably be enough for Blackburn to survive and it’s not unrealistic to think it might come against the Citizens.
3pts Lay Man City (vs. Blackburn) @ 1.99 (Betfair)