EPL crown for City as United falter

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It was just a matter of time and the inevitable did happen. Manchester City have finally ended their last few days of wait to seal the English Premier League title after their cross-city rivals and challengers Manchester United suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against bottom-of-the-table club West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils just prolonged the title race last weekend when they edged past City 3-2 in the latest Manchester derby at the Etihad. But they failed to drag it further as Jay Rodriguez’s 73rd minute strike stunned United at home and provided a life-line to the relegation-threatened Baggies, apart from, most importantly, handing over the title to the Citizens.

West Bromwich Albion's English striker Jay Rodriguez (2nd R) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League game against Manchester United. /VCG Photo

After City humbled Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 on Saturday evening, it was a must-win game for Jose Mourinho’s side to stay in contention for a seemingly impossible title hunt or, to be precise, deny the title to City for another week or so.

However, Darren Moore’s boys were paid for their hard work and a spirited display thanks to Rodriguez’s header in the second half. A lackluster United had their chances in the game as Romelu Lukaku was twice denied by goalkeeper Ben Foster, while Jesse Lingard also missed a golden opportunity after his introduction from the bench at half-time.

Victory for West Brom moves them up to 24 points, but they remain nine away from safety with just four games remaining.

(With inputs from agencies)