Newcastle United vs. Manchester City: Yaya Toure Carries Blues to Brink of Title

The final score will show neither how grueling it was, nor how far Manchester City had to push themselves. Indeed, for a club with a fanbase as damaged as this one, Sunday afternoon’s essential 2-0 victory at Newcastle United hardly could have felt any less secure until the final whistle had finished sounding.

That’s just a reality of everyday life for a club hounded by a little-brother complex more than four decades in the making. Noisy or not, these neighbors have spent much of their side’s title-chasing campaign simmering with self doubt while their heroes waged their own battle to end United’s extended hegemony in Manchester.

And yet, when that final whistle finally did sound on Sunday, City found themselves within touching distance of their first English title in more than 40 years, and their supporters suddenly found their burden resting a little more lightly on the shoulders.

And all of that had plenty to do with another set of shoulders, the stout pair owned by Yaya Toure, the burly, bruising midfielder who carried City within one win of the title with equal parts strength and skill.

And this time, the final score actually will show that much.

In the aftermath of City's landmark win over Manchester United last week, Blues manager Roberto Mancini claimed United still held the advantage in the title run-in.

Mancini's Manchester City faced a difficult trip to Champions League-chasing Newcastle United, while Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United had an "easy" home game against mid-table Swansea City.

Mancini was right about both. The matches shared final scores but little else, with Newcastle providing the expected stiff opposition while Ferguson's Red Devils expended little energy or effort in dispatching Swansea, 2-0.

Newcastle pinned back their more illustrious visitors early in the early kickoff, but City took over as the first half wore on. Still, the match remained scoreless deep into the second half until Mancini made a change that may have swayed the title race.

By bringing on Nigel De Jong in place of Samir Nasri in the 62nd minute, Mancini allowed Toure more freedom to enter and influence the attack. Eight minutes later, City were ahead.

Moments after a break in play, Toure combined with Sergio Agüero in the midfield and sighted goal from about 25 yards out. With one deft touch, the powerful Ivorian curled a sublime shot around the diving Tim Krul and into Newcastle's net.

It was a moment of sublime individual brilliance that, for most of the world, meant the title was City's.

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"Toure's first goal was special, like the one he scored in the FA Cup final for us last year," said Mancini. "This one may be more important if we can finish the season off."

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For City's supporters, that "if" hung in the air for almost 20 more nerve-jangling minutes. Both teams threatened the other's net soon thereafter, but in this contest, only one player had the goal-scoring goods.

With the prospect of a tense period of injury time lurking, Toure collected Gaël Clichy's pass in the 89th minute and thundered his second strike into Newcastle's goal.

This time, even City's fans couldn't deny the implications. After this goal, City were one very large step closer to being champions. According to Chris Bailey of City's website:

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"I am very happy. It is the first time I have scored two goals in one game in my career," said Toure. "And it brings us closer to the cup. I am happy with my performance and the performance of the team."

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Toure must have forgotten the time he scored twice against Villarreal earlier this season in the Champions League, but that's no matter. Like Toure, City are rewriting the history books this season.

Sunday's win marked five straight by a combined score of 15-1 since that seemingly fatal loss to Arsenal on April 8. And with another win next weekend against relegation strugglers QPR, the Blues will—barring a Manchester United victory of historically lopsided proportions at Sunderland—clinch the club's first title since 1968.

Ferguson, meanwhile, has been reduced to this:

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Fergie on pitch: "Hopefully next week there will be the biggest celebration of our lives. So be there" #mufc

— ian herbert (@ianherbs) May 6, 2012"

It's a brave new world that features Manchester City beating Manchester United to titles and Sir Alex Ferguson grasping desperately for hope. But don't buy it all just yet, because City's fans certainly haven't.

Until the final whistle sounds next week on a home win at the Etihad Stadium, the home support will maintain their constant vigil on pins and needles. But if the home side does win, the noisy neighbors will uncork a cathartic celebration so large that we might need to come up with a new nickname for them.

Till then, though, we've already got one for Yaya Toure: title-race superhero.

Follow @MikeCummings37