CHELSEA FANS: og loc

Manchester City win Barclays Premier League title

<b>Roberto Mancini's side pip neighbours United on afternoon of astonishing drama<b>

Key Points

Manchester City are the 2011/12 Barclays Premier League champions
    City score twice in injury time to secure top spot in dramatic fashion
    Late goals deny Manchester United a 13th Barclays Premier League crown

Manchester City were crowned champions of the Barclays Premier League after an afternoon of astonishing drama at the Etihad Stadium.

Roberto Mancini's side seemed to be destined for second place for much of the afternoon as Queens Park Rangers produced a display of resilience to thwart their opponents.

The situation was desperate as the match at the Etihad Stadium moved into injury time.

QPR, down to 10 men for the final 35 minutes of the match after Joey Barton's red card, were winning 2-1 and set to become the first side this season to beat City on their own patch.

More significantly, Manchester United were winning 1-0 at Sunderland thanks to Wayne Rooney's header - which meant City had to secure victory to win their first title in 44 years.

With 75 seconds of the five minutes of injury time elapsed Edin Dzeko fired in to level the match and set the tone for an astonishing finale.

And with less than two minutes remaining, Sergio Aguero fired past Paddy Kenny from close range to spark massive celebrations in the stadium.<blockquote><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote>

Manchester City win Barclays Premier League title

Roberto Mancini's side pip neighbours United on afternoon of astonishing drama Key Points ...

Captains Kompany & Evra prepare for D-Day

0 og loc 2:48 PM

<u>Man City and Man Utd skippers look forward to final day of 2011/12 season</u></h3>
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<div class="keypoints section">
<h4>

Key Points</h4>
<ul>
<li>Man City and Man Utd both aiming to win Barclays Premier League on Sunday</li>
<li>Man City host QPR and Man Utd travel to Sunderland</li>
<li>Captains Kompany & Evra both confident of success                 <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany and Manchester United 
skipper Patrice Evra say they are both fully focused and confident going
 into the last day of the Barclays Premier League season.</b></div>
<div style="color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
City are top of the table going into Sunday's denoument, leading United only on goal difference after 37 matches.</div>
<blockquote style="color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
"I can only tell you one thing - all the players will be ready for it"<br />
<b>- Vincent Kompany</b></blockquote>
<div style="color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Belgian defender Kompany knows that if he can lead his side to 
victory at home against Queens Park Rangers, they will be crowned 
champions of England for the first time since 1968.</div>
<div style="color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
"We are determined and completely focused on what we have to do," Kompany told his <a href="http://www.mcfc.co.uk/" rel=" external" target="_blank">club's official website.</a> "I can only tell you one thing - all the players will be ready for it.</div>
<div style="color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
"People say this match is somehow different, but every team that has 
come to the Etihad Stadium this season has needed to get something.</div>
<div style="color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
"It'll be a good game, I'm sure of that. Things don't have to come 
easy and if QPR give us a good game then fair play to them. We just have
 to be better than them.</div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I'd have happily played the game a day after we beat Newcastle last 
weekend. A whole week's build-up is annoying and you want to get it over
 with, but hopefully that'll help to make it so special."</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 class="article-subtitle" style="color: #6fa8dc;">

Captains Kompany & Evra prepare for D-Day

Man City and Man Utd skippers look forward to final day of 2011/12 season Key Points Man City and Man Utd both aiming to win Barcl...

Mata: We want to make Chelsea history by winning Champions League

0 og loc 12:39 AM

The Spaniard thinks it is important to gain European qualification with victory, while hailing Di Matteo's "character" but refusing to speculate on whether he will stay on as boss

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Chelsea star Juan Mata has expressed the players' desire to win the Champions League "for the club" as well as to secure a place in the competition next year.

Since Roman Abramovich bought the west London club in 2003, the Russian has pumped huge amounts of money into it in order to try and win Europe's top competition.

The Blues did manage to reach their first Champions League final in 2008, only to lose on penalties to Manchester United, with then-manager Avram Grant being removed soon after.

This season, despite Andre Villas-Boas being sacked part-way through the season, Roberto Di Matteo has stepped in and led Chelsea to its second shot at lifting the elusive trophy.

The 24-year-old Mata, who was signed from Valencia in the summer, revealed that the squad wants to make history by defeating Bayern Munich, while adding that it is also important to qualify for next season's tournament.

The Spaniard told Press Association Sport: "We want to win for the club, and for us, because we can make history for Chelsea.

"But, as well, it's important to play in the Champions League next year. Chelsea always want to be in the Champions League."

Winning the final, which is to be staged at Bayern's home ground the Allianz Arena, is now the only way the Premier League side can cement Champions League football for the 2012-13 season, after a disappointing league campaign.

However, the 23 million pound man insisted that if they triumph in Germany, adding to the FA Cup victory against Liverpool, the season will have been a success.

"It hasn't been an easy season for us in the Premier League," Mata continued.

"We are in sixth position, so it's not what Chelsea deserves. But we won the FA Cup, we have the chance now to win the Champions League as well. So, if we win both, it will be an amazing season for us."

Nevertheless, there is still much speculation concerning Di Matteo's future at the club.

Mata was signed by former Blues' boss Villas-Boas but gave his support to the interim boss. However, he would not say whether he thought the club's former midfielder Di Matteo would get the job permanently.

"Robbie's a very good guy, a very good person," the midfielder said of Di Matteo. "He has character, he knows Chelsea. He used to play [for the club], now he's training. So he's a very good manager and we are all with him.

"We don't know, we don't know [whether he will get the full-time role]. It's not our job. But I think all of us are happy with him. We have to win the final of the Champions League and now that's it."

Mata: We want to make Chelsea history by winning Champions League

The Spaniard thinks it is important to gain European qualification with victory, while hailing Di Matteo's "character" but ref...

CHELSEA NEW 2012/13 HOME KITS

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CHELSEA NEW 2012/13 HOME KITS

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Manchester City captain Kompany wins Barclays Player of the Season award

0 og loc 11:37 PM

The Belgian center back, who scored the winner against Manchester United in April, has been at the heart of the Blues team in what could be a Premier League-winning season.

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has been awarded Barclays Player of the Season.

The Blues defender, 26, has been instrumental in the side's resurgence in form since their defeat at Arsenal in early April.

Since that 1-0 loss - which looked to have eliminated them from the title race due to an eight-point deficit from leader Manchester United - Roberto Mancini’s men have been in fine form.

The club has conceded just once and scored 15 times in its current run of five straight wins.

The "noisy neighbors" started the season with a bang and led the league for large periods of the 2011-12 campaign despite limited success in European competitions.

A 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford led many to believe they were certain to become Premier League champions this season.

City ended April with a jubilant 1-0 win in the Manchester derby to complete the league double over Sir Alex Ferguson's men - the goal was scored by Kompany from a corner just before the halftime whistle.

The club needs to win at home - a feat it has failed to accomplish only once this season - against QPR to secure itse first Premier League title.

The Belgium international won the Players' Player of the Year and Supporters' Player of the Year at the club's end-of-season award ceremony.<blockquote><blockquote><strike><strike></strike></strike></blockquote></blockquote>

Manchester City captain Kompany wins Barclays Player of the Season award

The Belgian center back, who scored the winner against Manchester United in April, has been at the heart of the Blues team in what could be ...

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0 og loc 10:39 PM

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