LATET NEWS

Manchester City v QPR

Manchester City can clinch their first league title since 1968 with a win over Queens Park Rangers on the final day of a memorable season.

City, equal on 86 points with local rivals United but on top of the table with a superior goal difference, know three points at Etihad Stadium on Sunday will secure the trophy.

QPR on the other hand remain locked in a survival battle and need a result against the rampaging City to secure their top flight status for another season.

With Carlos Tevez and Sergio Augero firing up front for City, Yaya Toure, whose brace against Newcastle United last weekend guided City to their fifth win in as many outings, wants to finish the job.

"The job is not done yet," Toure told the official Manchester City website.

"We have to keep going because QPR need the points, but it would be amazing if we win.

"It is for occasions like this I came to City - to make history - and I hope I will make history at the weekend.

"Forty-four years is unbelievably long time to wait for another title - it is too many years. Now we have one game left and we have to deliver."

QPR are two points clear of Bolton Wanderers, who will be relegated with Wolverhampton and Blackburn Rovers should they fail to defeat Stoke City away.

Should Bolton win however, they would leapfrog QPR into Premier League safety if the London-based side left Manchester without a point.

"I can't wait for the game - I can't wait to go to Man City," QPR captain Joey Barton said.

"They expect us to turn up and them to probably stuff us and go on and win the league.

"If that is their attitude, they will get a reality check. It's 11 men against 11 men, there is a lot of pressure out there.

"We have one game to go and we are masters of our own destiny."

City edged out QPR 3-2 last time the sides met in November with Toure striking the winner at Loftus Road.

Sheikh Mansour to watch decisive Manchester City v QPR game on TV

• On Sunday, City hope to win first championship in 44 years
• Abu Dhabi-based owner has seen only one match at Etihad

Sheikh Mansour is not expected to be at the Etihad stadium on Sunday to watch Manchester City take on Queens Park Rangers as they attempt to win a first championship in 44 years.


The decision may suggest he is relaxed about the future of Roberto Mancini, with the Abu Dhabi-based owner of the club pleased at how the manager has rallied the Premier League challengers during the closing phase of the campaign.

Having been eight points behind Manchester United when losing 1-0 at Arsenal early last month, City have only to match their city rivals' result to be sure of the title, unless the champions can overturn their superior goal difference of eight at Sunderland.

Mansour will watch the game with QPR – as he does all matches – on television with his diary thought to currently prevent him attending the decisive fixture, though there may still be a late change.

Since buying the club in the summer of 2008, Mansour's schedule has allowed him to attend a match at the Etihad once – last season's 3-0 victory over Liverpool

Manchester City still only have two fingers on League trophy: Mancini

London: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has warned his players against any kind of complacency, reminding them that they only have two fingers on the Premier League trophy.

City are on the verge of winning the Premier League title for the first time in 44 years, following wins over Manchester United and Newcastle United.

The Etihad club now has to beat relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers at their home ground on Sunday to be sure of stealing the crown off local rivals United.

But Mancini has told his delighted players and staff they should not start dreaming of glory just yet.

“We have two fingers on the trophy. But it is not enough, because we still have one more game and it is a difficult one,” a daily quoted Mancini, as saying.

“My feeling is good after the Newcastle result and so is the feeling of the players. But we need to play the QPR game in the right mood,” he added.

The Italian fears if his players lose their focus over the week then the clash with the struggling QPR will become much tougher.

“We have managed to keep the players’ feet on the ground. We did it before we played United. Then we did it last week before we played Newcastle. We won’t change anything,” Mancini said.

“If we don’t keep our concentration and prepare well for the game it will end up being very difficult,” he added. 

Dzeko told to quit City

Bosnia boss worried for striker's long-term career

Reported Bayern Munich and Juventus target Edin Dzeko has been encouraged to quit Manchester City but is considered too expensive for a move to Italy.

The Bosnia striker's international manager, Safet Susic, is worried a fringe role at club level is going to lead to a wasted career.

Dzeko has not scored since February and has slipped to fourth in Roberto Mancini's striking options, with further attacking reinforcements expected to arrive this summer.

The £27million January 2011 signing from Wolfsburg has consequently been linked with a return to Germany with Bayern or Borussia Dortmund.

And Susic thinks Dzeko would benefit from moving, as the Bosnia boss is quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror: "Dzeko's situation at Manchester City cannot last forever. He knows what is best for him.

"It seems that Manchester City will win the title, which means Roberto Mancini and his staff will remain, and I saw that City are planning to bring in even more attacking players."

Juventus have also been linked with Dzeko, however, the striker's agent, Silvano Martina, does not think any Serie A club would be able to afford City's possible asking price.

"Dzeko is a champion, although this season he has not done so well," said Martina. "The City striker costs too much, so no Italian club will deal with the English club to buy him now."

With the end of the season fast approaching, we take look at how those Blues out on loan fared for their respective clubs this weekend.

In the race for Champions League qualification, Emmanuel Adebayor’s Tottenham failed to take advantage of Arsenal’s slip up against Norwich by only managing a 1-1 draw at Villa Park.

Chelsea’s involvement in this year’s Champions League Final means that only finishing in the Premier League’s top three could guarantee Spurs qualification to Europe’s elite competition and though the Togolese striker pulled ten-man Tottenham level from the spot, the Lilywhites failed to do enough to reclaim third place and now sit a point behind local rivals Arsenal with just one game remaining.

At the other end of the table, Dedryck Boyata’s Bolton surrendered a two-goal lead to seriously threaten their own hopes of survival. Boyata – who played 90 minutes for the Trotters – could do nothing to prevent West Brom’s 90th minute equaliser and ahead of their trip to Stoke, Owen Coyle’s men now sit two points adrift of safety.

Wayne Bridge’s Sunderland continued to struggle by slipping to defeat at the hands of Fulham. Martin O’Neill’s side haven’t won a game since the end of March but Blues will be hoping that Bridge – who went unused on the bench this weekend – and his team-mates will still have a say in the title race ahead of United’s trip to Wearside on Sunday.

Harry Bunn’s Oldham brought an end to their League One campaign with a fine 2-1 win over play-off-chasing Carlisle. The City Academy graduate played 79 minutes as Paul Dickov’s Latics claimed their first win in nine and finished the season in 16th.

Following up their incredible 9-0 drubbing of Solberg with a 3-0 victory over Sogndal, Mohammed Abu played 90 minutes for Norwegian league leaders Stromsgodset who climbed back to the summit after Rosenborg had temporarily overtaken them.

What Vladimir Weiss’ Espanyol would give for a slice of Stromsgodset’s luck! Despite chasing European qualification for the best part of the season, a run of one win in ten has seen the Spanish outfit drop to 13th and only five points above the relegation zone.

Weiss played the full game for Espanyol but watched four-goal hero Lionel Messi put on a footballing master class that the Slovakian winger will dream of one day matching.