Manchester City’s two-goal striker Edin Dzeko (left) tries to avoid the challenge of Aston Villa’s Karim El Ahmadi during last night’s Premier League game.Manchester City struck four second-half goals against a spirited Aston Villa side to put one hand on the Premier League trophy with a 4-0 win at the Etihad Stadium last night.
Edin Dzeko settled any nerves by breaking the deadlock after 64 minutes and followed up with his fifth crucial goal in the last three games.
Stevan Jovetic and Yaya Toure – netting City’s 100th league goal of the season with a brilliant solo effort – added further strikes in the dying moments to send Manchester City two points clear at the top, with just one game to play, in some style.
With a superior goal difference to Liverpool, City effectively need only a draw from their final game against West Ham on Sunday to claim their second title in three seasons.
After Liverpool’s capitulation to Crystal Palace on Monday, City had been expected to cruise home.
That they found the going tough on a night of heavy showers was credit to an Aston Villa side who, safe from relegation, supposedly had little to play for.
Dzeko’s heroics, in the absence of top scorer Sergio Aguero, further underlined his return to form and confidence this season after recent goals against Crystal Palace and Everton in the run-in.
At the other end of the standings, Sunderland guaranteed their Premier League survival when goals by Jack Colback and Fabio Borini sealed a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion which effectively ended Norwich City’s hopes of remaining in the top flight.
With Sunderland moving to 38 points and West Brom one place above the relegation zone on 36, Norwich are three points further adrift with a vastly inferior goal difference.
Premier League
Man. City 4
Dzeko 64, 72; Jovetic 89; Toure 90;
Aston Villa 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 47,023.
Sunderland 2
Colback 13; Borini 31;
West Brom 0
HT: 2-0. Att: 45,181.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Man. City | 37 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 100 | 37 | 83 |
| Liverpool | 37 | 25 | 6 | 6 | 99 | 49 | 81 |
| Chelsea | 37 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 69 | 26 | 79 |
| Arsenal | 37 | 23 | 7 | 7 | 66 | 41 | 76 |
| Everton | 37 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 59 | 39 | 69 |
| Tottenham | 37 | 20 | 6 | 11 | 52 | 51 | 66 |
| Man. United | 37 | 19 | 6 | 12 | 63 | 42 | 63 |
| Southampton | 37 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 53 | 45 | 55 |
| Newcastle | 37 | 15 | 4 | 18 | 42 | 57 | 49 |
| Stoke City | 37 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 43 | 51 | 47 |
| C. Palace | 37 | 13 | 5 | 19 | 31 | 46 | 44 |
| West Ham | 37 | 11 | 7 | 19 | 40 | 49 | 40 |
| Swansea | 37 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 51 | 53 | 39 |
| Sunderland | 37 | 10 | 8 | 19 | 40 | 57 | 38 |
| Aston Villa | 37 | 10 | 8 | 19 | 39 | 58 | 38 |
| Hull City | 37 | 10 | 7 | 20 | 38 | 51 | 37 |
| West Brom | 37 | 7 | 15 | 15 | 42 | 57 | 36 |
| Norwich City | 37 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 28 | 60 | 33 |
| Fulham | 37 | 9 | 4 | 24 | 38 | 83 | 31 |
| Cardiff City | 37 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 31 | 72 | 30 |
Sunday’s fixtures
16.00 Cardiff vs Chelsea; Fulham vs C. Palace; Hull vs Everton; Liverpool vs Newcastle; Man. City vs West Ham; Norwich vs Arsenal; Southampton vs Man. United; Sunderland vs Swansea; Tottenham vs Aston Villa; West Brom vs Stoke.