Newcastle 0 Manchester City 2: Toure de force has City closing in on historic triumph 

By Matt Lawton for the Daily Mail

Published: 09:26 EST, 6 May 2012 | Updated: 16:14 EST, 6 May 2012

When Yaya Toure received the ball from Nigel de Jong before trading passes with Sergio Aguero, the clocks here at the Sports Direct Arena had already stopped.

But when he then guided his shot quite beautifully beyond the grasp of a diving Tim Krul, Manchester United's time appeared to be up as well.

Priceless strike: Yaya Toure scores Manchester City's first goal against Newcastle

Happy days: Toure celebrates after putting City 1-0 in front

After 69 minutes and 44 seconds of an utterly absorbing encounter, an utterly absorbing Barclays Premier League title race certainly seemed to be all but over.

Toure did his best to make sure, doubling Manchester City's advantage with a second super goal that also put a serious dent in Newcastle's chances of gaining Champions League qualification.

But this was always a game that had wider - dare it be said, more important - implications and by the end both halves of Manchester seemed to realise that.

Unless QPR can spring the surprise of the season on Sunday the game is up and even the respective managers were ready to acknowledge that.

While Roberto Mancini said he would not even be watching United's game against Swansea, preferring to 'go home', Sir Alex Ferguson accepted that their fiercest rivals probably have not one but 'two hands' on the trophy.

At the double: Toure scores his second goal

Pure joy: Yaya Toure scores City's second goal

If the noisy neighbours do now finish the job on Sunday, it will be well earned.

They have been the best team this season and have also beaten United home and away.

 

The latter of those victories came only six days before Sunday's cruical win in what has been some week for Mancini and his team.

That it was Toure who delivered on this occasion must have made it all the more satisfying.

Here, after all, is one of the players often presented as a symbol of City's extravagance and excess; a player whose salary, somewhere north of £200,000 a week, was seen as the only reason why he traded the Nou Camp for the Etihad Stadium.

But Toure was recruited as a big game player and over the last two seasons he has proved himself exactly that, scoring what many will now consider to be the biggest goals in the club's history.

First came the winner in last season's FA Cup final to end the club's 35-year wait for a trophy and now the goals that have near enough ended a 44-year wait for the championship.

City supporters might also point to the winner he scored against United in the semi-final at Wembley last season.

Flying high: Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini celebrates his team's second goal

His goals here also highlighted some superb management from Mancini; another example, after everything that has happened on and off the field at City, that adds further weight to the argument that he should be crowned the manager of the season.

 

His side were dominating this contest without putting Newcastle under an enormous amount of pressure - not least because Fabricio Coloccini was simply outstanding at the centre of the Newcastle defence.

But when Mancini took the decision to replace Samir Nasri with De Jong in the 62nd minute and switch to a more aggressive formation, he enabled Toure to move into a more advanced role from which he could inflict the decisive damage.

As Mancini was keen to stress afterwards, other City players were deserving of praise and chief among those should be Vincent Kompany.

Ouch: Newcastle forward Jonas Gutierrez challenges Manchester City star Carlos Tevez

Battle: Demba Ba challenges Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany

IN FOCUS

ALAN PARDEW

Braved the elements in a black suit for 45 minutes before deciding enough was enough and emerging for the second half in a padded club ski jacket.

GARETH BARRY

In the wars early on after ducking his head towards a bouncing ball and being floored by a high boot to the face from Yohan Cabaye.

ROBERTO MANCINI

Last to leave the pitch but only after searching out Pardew for a consoling word. Italian style at its best.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Sunday: City v QPR — win and the title’s in the bag. United would need a nine-goal swing to deny them on goal difference.

City's captain might have scored the crucial goal against United on Monday night but now he had to marshal a defence whose task it was to tame one of the most prolific strike forces in the Premier League.

That Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba made so little impact on this occasion owed much to Kompany. Vive La Belgian indeed.

City dominated from the start, enjoying 77 per cent of possession in the opening 20 minutes, but struggling to penetrate against a Newcastle team who have been so cleverly assembled by Alan Pardew.

They possess such balance, with Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye working in front of a well-organised back four.

After 34 minutes it was actually Newcastle who first went close, with Gael Clichy blocking a shot from Ba and Joe Hart then producing a fine save to deny Hatem Ben Arfa.

Before half-time City would also go close, with the impressive Gareth Barry seeing Coloccini block a crisply-hit drive before Davide Santon cleared his follow-up effort off the line.

Mancini was beginning to become rather agitated, but that change he made with 28 minutes left amounted to something of a masterstroke.

On the floor: Yaya Toure tries to prevent Newcastle's Davide Santon from moving forward

When the goal arrived, it was the first Newcastle had conceded at home in 496 minutes of Premier League football; a finish from 20 yards that was more of a pass than a shot, such was the accuracy required to squeeze the ball between Krul and his post.

Toure's second arrived in the 90th minute but by then more chances had been squandered. Sergio Aguero contrived to shoot wide with Krul at his mercy and Toure slipped and fell as he attempted to skip past the keeper.

In the end, the second goal was the product of a swiftly executed counter-attack, with De Jong again involved and Clichy providing the final ball for Toure to guide home with glorious simplicity.

Close attention: Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa tries to win the ball but has Gael Clichy for company

It sparked wild celebrations on the City bench, even if a City manager mindful of the visit from QPR remained calm.

Five wins on the bounce, after that defeat at Arsenal, is some achievement; a series of results that has seen City run down United and get their noses in front.

Until five becomes six, though, Mancini will not be celebrating. No, only when the clocks stop next week and City have their title.

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