Manchester City host West Ham United at the Etihad on Sunday in a game where both managers know they likely will not be in their respective dugouts next season.
Manuel Pellegrini battles to save his job following a dismal Premier League title defence, while Sam Allardyce looks to convince the Hammers' hierarchy that he is worthy of a new contract in what promises to be an intriguing bout at Eastlands.
Manchester City
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It was this weekend last season that saw Pellegrini's side beat West Bromwich Albion in the first of a five-game winning streak that would ultimately see them pip Liverpool to the Premier League title.
Fast forward 12 months and, with six games left, it is all about Champions League qualification now for City in a season that has spawned more lows than highs and could cost the Chilean his job.
Spring is a season that promises to produce brighter days but, having lost four out of the six games since the beginning March, a gloom has engulfed the Citizens' campaign to the point where a top-four finish is now the priority - and even that is far from secure.
With four points separating them from fifth-placed Liverpool, the Sky Blues know that they can ill afford any further slip-ups and victory over West Ham is essential in order to restore the vigour needed to move into Europe's elite competition next term.
However, there is a real danger of City throwing the baby out with the bathwater and finishing outside the top four, and the intense speculation over Pellegrini's future is unlikely to help them rediscover their best form in a time of uncertainty at Eastlands.
Where it all went wrong is open for debate, but the defeat at Burnley on March 13 to leave Pellegrini's charges five points adrift of Chelsea - who are now 12 clear of them - was perhaps the day that they surrendered the title.
Further setbacks at Crystal Palace and last week's derby-day defeat at Manchester United has compounded the misery.
However, the next six games represent a chance for them to salvage some pride and Pellegrini will want to make the decision to sack him as hard as possible this summer.
Recent form: LWLWLL
Recent form (all competitions): WLLWLL
West Ham United
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With just two wins from 13 league outings in 2015, it could be said that West Ham have struggled to build on what was a hugely encouraging first half of the season.
The Hammers were arguably the surprise package for much of the campaign, having been third in the table by mid-December as Allardyce's pre-season recruits in the form of Alex Song, Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho proved instant hits in East London.
They finished the year with back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal in a run of form that appeared to slow their momentum heading into 2015, drawing with West Bromwich Albion and Swansea in their first two games of the calendar year.
Having once threatened to breach the top four, Allardyce's charges are now closer to finishing where the pre-season script would have predicted as they travel to Eastlands ninth in the table.
It has been a year filled with far more downs than ups, and Saturday's 1-1 draw with Stoke City at Upton Park brought another as Marko Arnautovic struck a last-gasp equaliser to deny the hosts what would have been a second win since January.
Thirteen points adrift of the Europa League spot and 17 clear of relegation, it promises to be a relatively monotonous end to the season for them, but the players may be motivated by the speculation mounting over their manager's future.
With his contract up in the summer, Allardyce is not expected to be offered an extension following their fruitless 2015 thus far, but a positive result away to the champions and the Irons' hierarchy may be closer to drawing up a new deal.
Recent form: LLLWLD
Team News
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The hosts have been rocked by the news that captain Vincent Kompany may miss the rest of the season with a muscle injury, meaning that Eliaquim Mangala could deputise.
Kompany is one of five players who are expected to miss the visit of West Ham, with forwards Stevan Jovetic and Wilfried Bony still injured.
Gael Clichy and James Milner are also doubts as injuries take their toll on the top-four hopefuls at a crucial time in the season.
Meanwhile, Allardyce confirmed that he is unwilling to risk 12-goal Sakho for the visit to City after the Senegalese striker suffered a thigh strain against Stoke.
This may allow Carlton Cole, who has scored twice from 17 Premier League appearances this season, sto pearhead their attack on Sunday.
Manchester City's possible starting lineup:
Hart; Zabaleta, Mangala, Demichelis, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Toure, Navas, Nasri, Silva, Aguero
West Ham's possible starting lineup:
Adrian; Jenkinson, Collins, Reid, Creswell; Song, Downing, Kouyate, Noble, Nolan; Cole
Head To Head
The Londoners secured a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture at Upton Park in October to bring an end to a five-game losing streak against their Manchester counterparts.
It was only their second win over City since 2009, with Sunday's hosts winning eight of the last 12 meetings - including a 9-0 aggregate victory in the last season's Capital One Cup semi-final.
We say: Manchester City 3-1 West Ham United
Despite their end-of-season woes, there is a reason why City are reigning champions and we reckon that they will win on Sunday to consolidate fourth place and enjoy a strong finish to the campaign.
Shane Callaghan
