Manchester City Top Newcastle to Stay out Front in Title Race

It was a close-run thing for 89 minutes, but Manchester City supporters got to exhale just before the final whistle and escape Newcastle with a 2-0 victory.

Yaya Toure's brace assured City will continue at the top of the table no matter what Manchester United's result against Swansea later in the day.

Roberto Mancini's team can spend the final week of the Premier League season assured of the fact that if they win at QPR next weekend, the championship will be theirs for the first time since 1968.

Newcastle Start Strong

City came out nervous and Newcastle took advantage during the first 10 minutes of play. The Toon kept the ball and were able to put extended pressure on the visiting back four.

Unfortunately for the home fans, Newcastle were unable to turn the early strength into any real chances on goal.

As City settled into the game, the tables would turn.

City Find Their Footing

After the first 10 minutes passed, City got their first sustained look at the ball.

Over the next 20 minutes, blue shirts pushed forward and created a flurry of chances.

The best opportunity came in the 20th minute, when a ball was played down the right side to Sergio Aguero. Newcastle keeper Tim Krul came rushing off his line and right out of the side of his box in pursuit.

Aguero got to the ball first and was able to get around the flapping keeper. But he looked to play a teammate in front of the unmanned goal and the pass was cut out.

Each Team Gets a Great Chance

The last quarter-hour of the first half went fairly stagnant, but for one glowing opportunity at each end of the field.

In the 34th, City defender Pablo Zabaleta was caught in possession by Jonas Gutierrez. The midfielder composed himself on the left side before playing a dangerous pass across the City area. Demba Ba received and got a shot away, but City's Gael Clichy got his block in.

As the ball popped up, Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa drifted underneath it. The ball dropped and Ben Arfa hammered a ferocious volley on goal. But Joe Hart was up to the challenge, beating the shot clear.

Just a few minutes before the half, it was City's turn to put Newcastle hearts in mouths. City worked the ball down the left side and a cut-back found Gareth Barry free in the area.

Barry's first shot was blocked out, but his follow-up beat Krul. To Barry's frustration, Newcastle defender Davide Santon was stationed on the goal line and managed to keep the shot out.

The game reached the break scoreless.

Second Half Starts More Tentatively Than the First

As the tension of the last 45 minutes kicked in, both sides tightened up. There was plenty of attacking pressure, but very little in the way of threatening chances.

Newcastle continued defending in numbers and looking to break on the counter, but found themselves increasingly unable to get Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse involved as the game progressed.

Manchester City worked the ball forward, but weren't able to find the final pass or penetrate deeply enough to worry Krul.

A Defensive Midfielder Opens up City's Attack

Things started to shift for City with the introduction of Nigel de Jong for Samir Nasri as the last half-hour began.

The Dutchman freed Yaya Toure to attack further up the field and the big Ivorian almost immediately began to menace Newcastle.

In the 70th minute, Toure broke the deadlock. He played an entry ball to Sergio Aguero near the top of the area, stepped around his marker and smoothly side-footed the return ball into the corner of the Newcastle goal.

0-1 Manchester City.

City Squander Chances to Put the Game Away Early

With 20 minutes left to play, nothing would have been more welcome in the blue side of Manchester than a quick second goal to put the match away.

But City seemed in the mood to keep things tight for a while.

David Silva played Aguero in free down the middle just five minutes after Toure's goal, but the Argentinian steered his shot just wide of Krul's post.

Seven minutes later, Toure's glancing header from a Silva free-kick just missed the other side of the Newcastle goal.

The next City movement saw Aguero release Toure free through the heart of Newcastle's defense. Toure touched the ball around Krul, but tripped over his own feet before getting a shot away. A trailing Aguero tried to tidy things up, but sent his shot high over goal.

Newcastle Almost Make Them Pay

Alan Pardew's late introduction of Shola Ameobi didn't send many pulses racing, but the Nigerian came within a hair's breadth of tying the match as the final whistle neared.

As the ball popped up in the City area, Ameobi came on to it and hit a blistering volley that was destined for the top corner of Joe Hart's goal.

But Micah Richards threw himself in front and salvaged his team's title hopes with the block.

And Toure Makes It Two

The ensuing corner kick came to nothing and City launched a rapid counter. The ball found its way to Gael Clichy down the left side as Mancini's men streamed forward.

Clichy played the ball between a defender's legs and found Toure at the corner of the six-yard box.

Toure took a touch, turned and fired the ball past Krul to unleash a wave of relief among the traveling fans and assure City all three points.

0-2 Manchester City.

What's Next

The win against Newcastle means, barring United beating Swansea by roughly a dozen goals, Manchester City will go into the final match of the season leading the Premier League.

Having cleared the Newcastle hurdle, City will finish their season at home next Sunday against relegation-threatened QPR.

For their part, the Manchester United chapter of QPR's fan club will travel to Sunderland hoping for two things: a win of their own and a fatal slip from the "noisy neighbors."