After Chelsea's disappointing exit to Paris Saint Germain last week, and Arsenal's valiant but ultimately futile efforts against Monaco last night, City, the reigning Premier League champions, face another tough task as they look to progress on Europe's grandest stage.

City have yet to make it past the last 16 in the Champions League, and were knocked out by the Catalan side at the same stage last season.

The first leg at the Eithad ended in a 2-1 defeat but could have been much worse had Lionel Messi converted a last minute penalty, which was saved by 'keeper Joe Hart.

But City will know that progressing to the quarter finals will be a tough ask facing the Spanish giants at home, especially with the attacking trio of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez in deadly form.

Should City go out tonight, then Everton's Europa League campaign will be the only English interest in European competition left, with the Toffees holding a 2-1 lead over Dynamo Kiev ahead of their last 16 second leg on Thursday.

City's potential exit would be a fitting end to a collective Champions League campaign in which English sides have fallen dramatically short compared to recent years.

Not too long ago all four English sides were contesting the quarter finals on a regular basis, but this season only three made it out of the group stages, with Liverpool dropping into the Europa League, where they were dispatched in the round of 32.

Even Arsenal and City could only finish second in their groups, and Chelsea looked like the only team ready to make an impact in the competition. 

But their unceremonious exit at the hands of the French champions, who played most of the second leg with ten men, left only Arsenal and City remaining.

The Gunners got the most desirable draw against Monaco, but fumbled in the first leg at the Emirates, losing 3-1. That meant history needed to be made last night as Arsenal would have been the first side to overturn a two goal deficit in a Champions League knock out stage.

Their 2-0 win was not enough however, and now it falls to City, who have been in underwhelming form of late, to pull off the unthinkable and beat Barca. The 'Miracle in Monaco' was unlikely to happen, and proved so, but City's task is a different game all together.