Manchester City close in on top four

Manchester City made ground in the battle for fourth place in the Premier League yesterday but looked a long way from Champions League material as they struggled to a forgettable 2-0 home win over Bolton Wanderers. City, who had lost two of their last...

Manchester City made ground in the battle for fourth place in the Premier League yesterday but looked a long way from Champions League material as they struggled to a forgettable 2-0 home win over Bolton Wanderers.

City, who had lost two of their last three league games, looked second-best for long periods against their relegation-threatened visitors but took the points with a first-half Carlos Tevez penalty and a smart finish by Emmanuel Adebayor following a killer pass by Patrick Vieira after 73 minutes.

The win takes City to 44 points and into fifth place, behind Liverpool on goal difference but with a game in hand on them and fellow challengers Tottenham Hotspur (43).

In other games Portsmouth grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser for a 1-1 home draw with Sunderland in a game featuring three red cards, while Wigan Athletic drew 1-1 with Stoke City.

There are six more games today, highlighted by Arsenal against Liverpool, with Manchester United and Chelsea also in action away to Aston Villa and Everton respectively.

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