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Nadal wins Madrid Draws leave Open title as Atletico Nishikori retires and Barca for 17 final19 day battle MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014 Osvaldo winner stuns Roma as Juve grab more records Page 19 MANCHESTER: The Manchester City squad pose for pictures with the trophy after they won the Premiership title race following a 2-0 victory over West Ham in the English Premier League football match. — AFP City crowned EPL champions Winners of the League Cup earlier in the sion prior to the opening goal. through of the opening goal at Anfield, City area was well off target as City goal- year, City added the championship in fairly Inevitably, City made the pressure count Toure’s curling shot just missed the target keeper Joe Hart awaited his first save of the Man City 2 routine fashion. While City’s main chal- before the half-time whistle as Yaya Toure from the edge of the area. match but, as news came through that lengers Liverpool faltered in the past two played a short ball to Nasri and the visiting Aleksandar Kolarov’s spectacular 30-yard Liverpool had equalised in their game, it was weeks-notably in losing at home to Chelsea defenders showed a rare lapse in concentra- attempt was tipped over acrobatically by merely a question of by how many and squandering a three-goal lead to draw tion by backing off the midfielder. That invit- Adrian and Aguero showed nimble footwork Pellegrini’s team would win their title- West Ham 0 at Crystal Palace-the unflappable Pellegrini ed the France international to attempt a on the by-line only for his drag-back to be decider. ensured his club kept their composure, cul- shot, which Nasri duly did, producing a skied over the target by Edin Dzeko from six Aguero headed just wide from a Pablo minating in yesterday’s victory over Sam sweetly-struck right-foot effort which flew in yards. After the goal, Aguero’s glancing Zabaleta cross, Silva’s shot was deflected Allardyce’s Hammers. via the left-hand post and a slight touch header flew just wide and David Silva’s shot behind and Aguero mishit from six yards MANCHESTER: Goals from Samir Nasri and By the time Nasri shot City into a 40th from diving goalkeeper Adrian. was deflected onto the bar as City sought to after another Zabaleta centre when it skipper Vincent Kompany saw Manchester minute lead, the pressure around Eastlands As they had done in securing a vital mid- ensure they enjoyed an anxiety-free second appeared easier to convert into the gaping City to a 2-0 win over West Ham as they had already been lifted considerably with week victory over Aston Villa, City showed half. Ultimately, it required only four min- West Ham goal.The closing minutes entered claimed their second Premier League title in the surprise news from Anfield that admirable patience prior to Nasri’s strike, utes of that second period for City to kill off practice match territory, although Adrian three seasons. Liverpool had fallen behind to Newcastle. prodding and probing at the opposition’s the contest and ensure their 17th home vic- was required to save smartly with his feet to Yesterday’s final day of the league season That left Pellegrini’s team in the position defence without offering them any hope on tory in 19 league games this season. block a close-range shot from Nasri. Finally, victory at City’s Eastlands ground crowned a of potentially being able to lose to West Ham the counter-attack. Nasri’s left-wing corner was met by Dzeko West Ham showed some fire, but in the triumphant first English campaign in charge and still regain the title they won so memo- It took until the 18th minute for Sergio who neatly twisted to turn the ball goal- incorrect manner, as a minor scuffle between for Manuel Pellegrini, the Chilean manager rably on the final day of the season in 2012. Aguero, recalled after a lengthy injury lay-off, wards, directly into the path of Kompany, players from both teams in the final minute celebrating his first domestic championship Nonetheless, defeat seemed highly unlikely to test Adrian with a 25-yard shot which was who swept the ball in from six yards. ended with Aguero and Mark Noble both in Europe. with City enjoying 75 percent of the posses- comfortably saved and, just as news filtered Matt Taylor’s shot from the edge of the being cautioned for a needless clash. — AFP Liverpool win United out of Europe in vain as title after last-day draw best season since 2002-03 on a high, and they dreams dashed appealed for a penalty after four minutes Southampton 1 when Vidic appeared to elbow the ball, but And Liverpool responded one referee Mike Dean was uninterested. Then more time to score twice in as many Lallana’s attempt to flick home a long-range effort from Victor Wanyama only succeeded minutes to sign off with a 16th home in taking the sting out of the shot and allow- Liverpool 2 win as Newcastle finished in disarray Man United 1 ing David De Gea to save with ease. following the double sending-off of After 20 minutes Lallana and Shaw com- Shola Ameobi and Paul Dummett. bined, with Shaw looping a header onto the Daniel Agger forced home the SOUTHAMPTON: Manchester United ended roof of De Gea’s net. It was a reflection of the Newcastle 1 equaliser and from another Steven a miserable season with a 1-1 draw at run of play when Southampton took the lead Gerrard free-kick Daniel Sturridge Southampton yesterday that saw them finish after 28 minutes, although United com- tapped home the winner. the campaign in seventh place in the Premier plained that Lambert had elbowed Vidic LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s bid to Under-fire Newcastle manager League. before taking a pass from Steven Davis and snatch the Premier League title on Alan Pardew is due to meet club Juan Mata produced one of the few beating De Gea at his near post. the final day of the season ended in owner Mike Ashley now the season moments of quality in the match with a curl- Replays, though, suggested that Lambert frustration despite a 2-1 win over has ended to discuss the future, but ing free-kick to level after Rickie Lambert had had not moved his elbow and that the con- nine-man Newcastle yesterday. at least his troubled team did not given Southampton the lead. tact, although causing Vidic to bleed profuse- Brendan Rodgers’ side needed to follow the anticipated script by But even as United celebrated their come- ly, was accidental. beat the Magpies at Anfield and meekly surrendering on the final back, news from north London, where Chris Smalling had United’s first serious hope West Ham could upset leaders day. Tottenham Hotspur overcame Aston Villa 3-0, effort at goal after 33 minutes, a low angled Manchester City at Eastlands if they Right from the start they made confirmed that they had failed to qualify for shot past the post from 20 yards, but the were to land the English league life difficult for a nervy Liverpool Europe for the first time since the 1989-90 hosts looked more likely to score again, with team with lone striker Ameobi carry- crown for the first time since 1990. LONDON: Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez (left) vies for the season. United needed Tottenham to lose to Lallana bamboozling Ferdinand before driv- But, although they came from ing an aerial threat. stand any chance of sneaking into the Europa ing wide. Giggs replaced the ineffective Shinji Liverpool showed none of the ball against Newcastle United’s English defender Mike Williamson behind to win, Liverpool were left during the English Premier League football match. — AFP League, but their draw meant that they Kagawa with Michael Carrick at half-time and with an empty feeling as City cruised early spark that had epitomised would not have been in a position to exploit a after 54 minutes United were level. Wanyama to a 2-0 victory that guaranteed they many of their previous home suc- was first denied by Simon Mignolet their afternoon as they went past a slip-up anyway. fouled Welbeck 20 yards out and Mata artfully would finish two points ahead of the cesses and although Luis Suarez had and then failed to make clean con- century of league goals for the sea- Captain Nemanja Vidic said his United curled the free-kick past the left hand of second placed Reds. the ball in the net after 18 minutes tact when again in behind the Reds’ son. farewell, and both Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Artur Boruc. That took the stuffing out of the In the end, Liverpool were left to his effort, from a free-kick taken with fragile defence. Both times Gerrard was the cre- Evra may also have bowed out, while interim home side, and they could even have gone 2- rue the costly mistakes that realisti- the ball rolling before referee Phil Suarez cleverly made a chance ator with superbly delivered free- manager Ryan Giggs took charge of the team 1 behind seconds later as Welbeck met Adnan cally meant their fate had already Dowd had given the go-ahead, was for himself which wasn’t matched by kicks which proved undefendable for the fourth and probably final time. It could Januzaj’s cross with a firm header, but aimed been sealed by a defeat against never likely to stand.