[caption id="attachment_71370" align="alignright" width="600" caption="Vincent Kompany, City’s skipper, was the hero with a headed winner against United on the stroke of halftime."]
If Manchester City win their final two games of the season then they will be crowned English Premier League champions for the first time on May 13. City beat United 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Monday night to take over at the top table thanks to a superior goal difference. The Premier League came into existence in 1992 and prior to that City’s last won the old first division in 1968. Captain Vincent Kompany was City’s hero on Monday night, getting his head to a Silva corner just before half-time in a game they dominated all through. City are eight goals better off than United, but their final two games are probably tougher than United’s run in and we could yet see another twist or two in this saga. City are away to 5th-place Newcastle on Sunday and then home to QPR the following week. Meanwhile, United are home to Swansea on Sunday next and finish with an away game against Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland on May 13.
At the other end of the table Wolves are already down, but it’s going to be a battle between Blackburn (31 points) Bolton (34), Queens Park Rangers (34) and possibly Wigan (37) and Aston Villa (37) to decide who will drop into the Championship next season. Wigan, who have spent most of the season in the relegation zone, did their survival hopes a power of good by beating Newcastle United 4-0 at the DW Stadium on Saturday. That defeat certainly dented the Geordies hopes of getting the coveted Champions League place next season and then on Sunday Newcastle were overtaken on goal difference by Spurs who beat Blackburn 2-0 at White Hart Lane. I think Blackburn will go down, but it’s going to be a real battle between: Bolton, QPR, Wigan and Villa to decide the third relegation place.
Trap impressed
On Saturday, Bolton drew 2-2 away to Sunderland, where Ireland’s James McClean scored a great goal from a free kick for Sunderland. Giovanni Trapattoni was paying a visit to Croagh Patrick in Mayo on Saturday for a charity walk and missed McClean’s goal, but later he said that the Derry-born winger was 90-99 percent certain of making his Euro 2012 squad next Monday. Trap also said he was delighted to see Richard Dunne return to action with Aston Villa on Saturday after a long lay off with a collar bone injury. Villa, who are hovering just above the relegation zone, drew 0-0 with Midlands neighbours West Brom on Saturday. Queens Park Rangers have slipped into the danger zone in recent weeks and were beaten 6-1 by Chelsea on Sunday. Meanwhile Chelsea’s FA Cup Final opponents Liverpool were celebrating for a change after they had an excellent 3-0 away win over Norwich. Luis Suarez, who has caused a lot of trouble for Liverpool this season with his racist remarks, got all three goals at Carrow Road.
It was a good weekend also for Irish international Chris Hughton as his Birmingham City side beat Reading 2-0 to secure fourth place in the Championship table. The Blues will now play-off against Blackpool over two legs with the winners meeting the winners of the West Ham-Cardiff play-off to decide who will be promoted along with Reading and Southampton at the end of May.
