Mancini wants his director of football, Txiki Begiristain, to bring in £35million Uruguayan ace Cavani from Napoli this summer - and sharpish - if City are to mount a dual Champions League-Premier League challenge next season.
Equally important, though, is keeping his Argentina pairing of Aguero and Tevez happy.
Up and running: Sergio Aguero capped off a magical City move, pouncing onto David Silva's intricate pass to fire past Jussi Jaaskelainen
Match facts
Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Yaya Toure, Barry, Silva (Milner 78), Nasri (Kolo Toure 87), Tevez (Javi Garcia 83), Aguero. Subs not used: Pantilimon, Dzeko, Kolarov, Nastasic.
Booked: Zabaleta.
Goals: Aguero 28, Yaya Toure 83.
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien (Carlton Cole 80), Reid, Collins, Demel, O'Neil, Diame, Vaz Te (Collison 66), Nolan (Taylor 80), Jarvis, Carroll. Subs not used: Henderson, Noble, Pogatetz, Joe Cole.
Booked: Carroll, Collison, O'Brien.
Goal: Carroll 90.
Referee: Howard Webb.
Attendance: 47,189.
Booked: Zabaleta.
Goals: Aguero 28, Yaya Toure 83.
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien (Carlton Cole 80), Reid, Collins, Demel, O'Neil, Diame, Vaz Te (Collison 66), Nolan (Taylor 80), Jarvis, Carroll. Subs not used: Henderson, Noble, Pogatetz, Joe Cole.
Booked: Carroll, Collison, O'Brien.
Goal: Carroll 90.
Referee: Howard Webb.
Attendance: 47,189.
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Aguero scored the first, could easily have gobbled a hat-trick, and by the time Tevez went off to a standing ovation, City were in the clear.
It was hard to believe Tevez was public enemy No1 last season rather than a striker City are desperate to keep beyond his contract, which runs out in 12 months' time.
Despite Andy Carroll's late consolation, courtesy of a blunder by the injured Joe Hart, it was a convincing response from City after losing their league title to Manchester United on Monday.
'We had control of the game for 90 minutes,' said City vice-captain Pablo Zabaleta. 'I expected nothing less in our reaction,' added assistant manager David Platt.
'The intensity in training was high all week.'
There was good news for City before kick-off, with David Silva returning after a hamstring injury. He did not show any ill-effects and should be fine for the FA Cup final against Wigan on May 11.
Letting fly: Yaya Toure readies to unleash his howitzer, giving Jaaskelainen no chance
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All eyes, though, were on Aguero and Tevez. City should have gone ahead when Tevez's pass deflected off Kevin Nolan's knee into Aguero's path, only for the forward to scuff his finish on to the post, with Jussi Jaaskelainen wrong-footed.
Aguero made amends after a flowing move to give City the lead after 29 minutes.
Yaya Toure, Silva and Samir Nasri exchanged passes without a West Ham challenge in sight and the Frenchman's low cross was stuck away emphatically by his Argentine colleague.
It was then a case of how many City could score. Tevez set up Nasri , but Jaaskelainen saved from pointblank range.
Zabaleta was denied from four yards, while Nasri somehow missed his kick from the same distance after Tevez had teed him up.
'We showed City too much respect in the first half - but we were able to put them under a bit more pressure in the second,' said West Ham manager Sam Allardyce.
But City still looked the likelier scorers, Aguero turning James Collins inside out before slipping a pass to Tevez, whose shot was deflected from six yards.
Tribute: Both sets of fans paid their respects to Marc-Vivien Foe in the 23rd minute following the Cameroonian's tragic death in 2003
Reflex save: Pablo Zabaleta forces Jaaskelainen into an excellent close-range save
Around the action, there were other incidents going on, some feisty, some heartfelt.
A minute's applause for former West Ham and City player Marc-Vivien Foe, who collapsed and died while playing for Cameroon 10 years ago, was supported by both sets of fans after 23 minutes, the number of the shirt he wore.
Joey O'Brien's rash challenge on Zabaleta led to the City defender grabbing his opponent's shirt in retaliation and both were booked.
'It was a bad tackle but I apologise for the reaction,' said Zabaleta.
A minute's applause for former West Ham and City player Marc-Vivien Foe, who collapsed and died while playing for Cameroon 10 years ago, was supported by both sets of fans after 23 minutes, the number of the shirt he wore.
Joey O'Brien's rash challenge on Zabaleta led to the City defender grabbing his opponent's shirt in retaliation and both were booked.
'It was a bad tackle but I apologise for the reaction,' said Zabaleta.
How did he miss? Samir Nasri cannot believe he squandered a gilt-edged chance to put City 2-0 up
England's No1 goalkeeper has had the odd back twinge all season but was not able to go off as City had used all three substitutes.
That may have been a factor when he got down slowly to Carroll's injury-time shot and the ball went through his legs.
On target: Andy Carroll fires a shot on goal...
But Joe Hart lets the ball slip under his body...
And into the back of the net...
By that time, though, City had wrapped up the points anyway after Yaya Toure had taken a short pass by Nasri and curled a 25-yarder into the top corner.
Mancini thought the second goal was long overdue.
'I'm happy for this performance,' he said. 'I'm unhappy for the goals we missed as we could have scored more, but this has been our problem this season. West Ham are a good team and have had a good season, but today we deserved to score four, five or six goals.'
Mancini cannot be certain if he will be at the Etihad next season but if he wins the FA Cup to complete a hat-trick of trophies in three full seasons, dismissal would be harsh.
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