This was an afternoon that began in hope and ended in apathy for Manchester City. It initially gave the impression that, for the home fans at least, today was as much about passion and effort as anything else, an opportunity to put frustration aside and give Manuel Pellegrini a warm send-off. By full-time, more than half the crowd had poured out of the Etihad Stadium long before the manager took to the microphone to say his goodbyes.
