Weekly Football News, May, 12, 2014
City time their run to the title perfectly
Manchester City have outlasted their Premier League rivals to claim their second league title in three years in England.
City beat West Ham United 2-0 in their final game of the season to hold off the challenge of Liverpool, who finished two points adrift in second despite a 2-1 win over Newcastle United at Anfield.
Liverpool had been strong favourites to claim their first-ever Premier League crown after beating Manchester City 3-2 last month, but subsequently lost to Chelsea and then let a three-goal advantage slip away against Crystal Palace.
"It has been a brilliant season," said manager Manuel Pellegrini, who claimed the title in his first season in English football. "We were involved in all four competitions for longer than any other English team, and we won two of them as well so I am very happy."
However, the Chilean also targeted more titles in the forthcoming years, sending out an ominous warning to their title rivals.
"Big teams cannot be satisfied with one title," said Pellegrini. "This club and players deserve more."
At the other end of the table, Norwich's relegation to the Championship was confirmed after a 2-0 home loss to Arsenal. They join Fulham and Cardiff in the Championship next season.
La Liga going to the wire
The Spanish domestic league will also be decided on the final day of the season next weekend after Atletico Madrid and Barcelona both drew their penultimate matches to set up a mouth-watering title decider next Sunday.
Atletico could have secured their first league crown for 18 years against Malaga, but could only draw 1-1, with Barca also held to a goalless draw by strugglers Elche.
The two top now face each other at the Nou Camp to decide on the destination of the La Liga trophy.
Diego Simeone's side, who face cross-town rivals Real in the Champions League final later this month, only require a point to take the spoils.
"We are going to need the support of the fans so that the players on the field can feel it and feed off it," Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino said. "It has not been a season in which we have shone a lot, but with the help of the fans we can win the league."
Cole an 'incredible competitor': Hodgson
The England manager has conceded that leaving Ashley Cole out of his World Cup squad for Brazil 2014 was "one of the hardest decisions of my career".
Cole, who has only played sporadically for Chelsea this season, has been overlooked by Hodgson in favour of Everton's Leighton Baines and Southampton teenager Luke Shaw.
He subsequently announced his retirement from international football.
Nevertheless, the professionalism and hunger of Cole, who represented England in three World Cups, was praised by Hodgson.
"He's been an incredible competitor for England," he said. "To amass over a century of caps is a truly staggering achievement and he deserves enormous credit for the desire and brilliance which has shone through over the years he has represented his country.
"There are few players who can be considered among the very best in the world, but Ashley in his prime was the best left-back without question."
Anzhi relegated in Russia
Anzhi Makhachkala have been relegated from the Russian Premier League following a 1-0 defeat at Krasnodar.
The club that only a handful of seasons ago were chasing some of the brightest talents in Europe have fallen dramatically from grace this term after Dagestani billionaire Suleyman Kerimov slashed his investment in the club.
Anzhi join second-bottom Volga Nizhny Novgorod in the second tier next season.
At the top, CSKA Moscow moved one point clear of Zenit St Petersburg, whose match at home to Dynamo Moscow was abandoned after fans invaded the pitch and attacked Dynamo skipper Vladimir Granat.
Compiled by Marc Fox
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2013 World Soccer News
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