Simple mathematics.

Two games left for City and it's pretty much a three way battle for the final available European spot as just three points seperate Middlesbrough in seventh to City in ninth place.
Intriguingly, the fixture list has thrown up some interesting match-ups over the final week. This current weekend sees Middlesbrough host eighth placed Spurs (currently level on points), whilst City travel to Aston Villa, who themselves have an outside chance of qualification.
The final weekend sees Spurs travel to Blackburn and City take on Middlesbrough.
Ideally for City would be a Middlesbrough victory over Tottenham coupled with a City vin at Villa Park, as this would leave City three points behind Middlesbrough going into the final week with a superior goal difference with Tottenham level on points with City but with an inferior goal difference to that of the Blues.
City are undoubtedly the form team of the three at the moment and Villa Park is a ground which we have travelled well to in recent seasons.
All of this would of course mean that it would leave City's fate in their own hands on the last day of the season. Again, all of which means that somehow the footballing gods (with a little help from City of course) would conspire to cock things up totally and leave 48,000 fans completely frustrated but not one bit suprised in the least.