The Bosnia and Herzegovina international netted twice, while goals from Stevan Jovetic and Yaya Toure rounded off the rout at the Etihad – leaving City on the brink of glory

An Edin Dzeko brace and late strikes from Stevan Jovetic and Yaya Toure gave Manchester City a vital 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday, leaving them on the verge of winning their second Premier League title.

Having witnessed Liverpool draw 3-3 with Crystal Palace on Monday, City knew a win over Villa would leave their destiny in their own hands heading into the final day of the season.

And they did not waste their opportunity, producing a second-half goal blitz that sees them now with one hand on the trophy as they prepare to host West Ham at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Despite the comfortable scoreline, City were made to work hard in patches against a Villa side who held relegation fears for much of the campaign.

The opening goal only arrived midway through the second half as Dzeko finished off a well-worked team move.

The Bosnia-Herzegovina striker then added a second in the 72nd minute with his 16th Premier League goal of the season before City made it even more comfortable late on.

Stevan Jovetic came off the bench with half an hour to go and made his impact when he passed the ball into the corner for the third, before Yaya Toure – so often the talisman this season – added his own stamp to the scoreline with a fourth in injury time.

Bar a huge swing in goal difference, City now just need a point against West Ham to secure a second title in three years.

City unsurprisingly made the most of the early running, left-back Aleksandar Kolarov – in the side in place of Gael Clichy – forcing Brad Guzan into a near-post save after just five minutes.

Midfielder Toure was then denied by brilliant close-range stop from Guzan seven minutes later before David Silva, starting instead of the injured Sergio Aguero, narrowly missed connecting with a dangerous left-wing cross from Kolarov.

The hosts dominated possession throughout the first half, although Villa were dangerous on the break and could have taken the lead had Andreas Weimann supplied a better finish after racing clear on the counter-attack.

But the best chance of the opening period came in first-half injury time as Samir Nasri turned a James Milner cross wide at the near post from point-blank range.

City’s onslaught continued in the second half, Guzan called into action twice in the early stages after the restart.

First, the American kept out Vincent Kompany’s acrobatic overhead kick, and then produced an excellent save to prevent Kolarov’s curling free-kick from finding the top corner.

However, Guzan was finally beaten in the 64th minute as Dzeko slotted home from Pablo Zabaleta’s low ball into the box after Silva had fed the Argentinian with a superb pass down the right channel.

Pellegrini’s side continued to flood forward in search of the second goal, and it duly arrived eight minutes later as Dzeko tapped in his second on the rebound after Guzan had saved from Nasri.

Weimann went close to setting up a tense finale with a header that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar late on, but City were out of sight soon after.

They added a third when substitute Jovetic converted from a pull back by Toure a minute from time.

The Ivory Coast international then added further gloss to the scoreline himself by surging clear from inside his own half and powering beyond a helpless Guzan to give City sight of the title.

According to Goal

Hat-tricks from Hossein Tayebi, Asghar Hassanzadeh and Mohammad Shajari helped 10-time AFC Futsal Championship winners Iran secure passage into the semi-finals following a 15-4 win over hosts Vietnam on Wednesday.

Iran found themselves 5-1 up at half-time at Phu Tho Stadium with Tayebi scoring twice while Vahid Shafiei, Shajari and Alireza Vafaei were also on target.

Vietnam scored four times themselves through a double from Phung Trong Luan and further goals from Pham Thanh Dat and Ly Khanh Hung, but 10 goals in the second half from Iran highlighted the gulf in class between the two sides as the 10-time winners maintained their 100% record.

Iran started stronger, with Vietnam happy to sit back and defend, and found a way through when on three minutes when Tayebi received the ball with his back to goal and was able to spin around an out-rushing Dang Phuoc Anh and roll the ball in from a tight angle.

The goal, though, appeared to spark the hosts into life and they almost found themselves level when Ngo Ngoc Son capitalised on a slip from Hamid Ahmadi, but with just the goalkeeper to beat, he could only fire the ball at Alireza Samimi’s body before Nguyen Boa Quan blazed over from close range a minute after.

Moments after Le Quoc Nam then saw a shot hit the post for Vietnam, but Iran doubled their lead when Phuoc Anh was unable to keep hold of a powerful shot from Farhad Tavakoli and the ball spilled to Tayebi to score his second of the match.

Vietnam had another chance to score on 11 minutes when Thanh Dat caught Tavakoli in possession but his effort was again blocked by Samimi.

And from that rebound, Iran broke quickly and when Shafiei drilled a ball across the area Vietnam goalkeeper Phuoc Anh was left red faced as he deflected the ball into his own net.

The hosts did reduce the deficit a minute later when a shot was parried by Samimi and Trong Luan was able to poke the ball in from close range.

But it took Iran less than 10 seconds to restore their three-goal advantage when Ahmadi squared a ball into the penalty area for an unmarked Shajari to side foot home.

Samimi was called into action to deny both Bao Quan and Ton That Phi to maintain the advantage before Vafaei scored Iran’s fifth in the 16th minute.

Khanh Hung, though, ensured Vietnam were first to score after the break with a fine solo effort in the 22nd minute from near the half-way line which keeper Samimi could do nothing about.

But three quick fire goals, which included Tayebi completing his hat-trick and two goals from Asghar Hassanzadeh in the 25th minute, finally put the game out of Vietnam’s reach.

Hassanzadeh then wrapped up his hat-trick with a spectacular effort from inside his own half which lobbed over substitute goalkeeper Tran Buu Phuoc.

Trong Luan did pull another goal back for Vietnam in the 28th minute when he saw his initial shot saved by Samimi but followed up to hit the ball into the roof of the net.

Iran, though, hit double figures on 30 minutes when Mohammad Taheri saw his shot hit the post and Shajari was on hand to turn home the rebound.

With Vietnam still intent on pushing forward, Shajari turned provider for Behroz Jafari for Iran’s 11th goal.

Tavakoli and Shajari then combined to cut out goalkeeper Buu Phuoc for the 12th goal as the latter completed his hat-trick.

Vietnam struck back for a fourth time on 34 minutes through Thanh Dat, but Vafaei restored the advantage when he got his second on the break three minutes from time.

And Farhad Fakhim completed the rout with two goals in the 37th and 38th minutes to seal Iran’s fourth win in as many games.

According to AFC

Uzbekistan earned an AFC Futsal Championship semi-final with 10-time winners Iran after recording a resounding 6-2 win over Lebanon in Wednesday’s quarter-final at Ton Duc Thang University Stadium.

Uzbekistan were somewhat fortunate to find themselves in possession of a one-goal half-time lead given to the unbeaten Group D winners by Andrey Shlema midway through the first half after Lebanon had dominated the opening 20 minutes.

But after half-time, Dilshod Rakhmatov scored twice while Shuhrat Tojiboev, Farkhod Abdumavlyanov and Artur Yunusov were also on target as Uzbekistan eased into Thursday’s semi-final despite late consolations from Ahamd Kheir El Dine and Moustafa Serhan.

With Iran facing hosts Vietnam in the other quarter-final, Group C runners-up Lebanon should have broken the deadlock seven minutes into an evenly-matched contest as a superb piece of individual skill on the halfway line sent Serhan clean through on goal, but after taking too long with his shot, Uzbekistan goalkeeper Rustam Umarov was able to block on the edge of the penalty area.

And despite Umarov remaining the busier of the two goalkeepers, opposite number Tarek Tabboush was the first to be beaten midway through the first half as Shlema’s first-time turning shot from the edge of the penalty area caught out the Lebanon custodian at his near post.

Lebanon resumed their dominance after the goal, but were unable to find a response with Uzbekistan content to defend deep and counterattack.

And Lebanon were made to pay as Uzbekistan scored twice in less than a minute at the start of the second half through Rakhmatov and Tojiboev.

First, Rakhmatov shot past Tabboush from the edge of the penalty area before Tojiboev raced clear from the halfway line and coolly rounded the exposed goalkeeper before rolling the ball into the unguarded net.

Abdumavlyanov then added a fourth in similar circumstances four minutes later with Lebanon again overcommitted as they pushed for a way back into the contest, although this time Tabboush was beaten with a shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Lebanon coach Francisco Araujo responded by withdrawing Tabboush in place of Mohamad Kobeissy, although the move quickly backfired as Yunusov scored into an empty net from well inside the Uzbekistan half with nine minutes remaining.

And a minute later, with Tabboush again off the field, confusion between Kobeissy and Karim Abou Zeid allowed Rakhmatov to add a simple sixth.

Lebanon did pull a goal back through El Dine with under three minutes remaining before Serhan netted in the final minute, although they did little to detract from a convincing victory for Uzbekistan.

According to AFC

Captain Hamad Hayat and Abdulrahman Al Wadi each scored twice as Kuwait booked a place in the semi-finals of the AFC Futsal Championship with a 5-2 win over Australia on Wednesday.

Abdulrahman Al Taweel also scored in the second half for Kuwait, who lost to Australia 3-2 at the same stage two years ago in the United Arab Emirates, following a goalless first half at Phu Tho Stadium.

Tobias Seeto and Jarrod Basger did score for Australia in the second half, although they proved to be on consolations for the Futsalroos.

With a place in the semi-finals at stake, the evenly-matched contest got off to a cagey start although Mohammad Al Dousari did strike the foot of Australia’s post after seven minutes.

Dean Lockhart was presented with Australia’s best chance of the first half three minutes before half-time, but after being found by Greg Giovenali’s long ball, he fired straight at Kuwait goalkeeper Hani Mhisen.

But Kuwait finally found a breakthrough just seven seconds in the second half as Al Wadi found Hayat and the captain guided his shot past Australia goalkeeper Peter Spathis via the upright.

Australia coach Steven Knight eventually responded by replacing Spathis with an extra outfield player when his side were in possession.

But Kuwait doubled their lead in the 26th minute when Al Wadi chested the ball down for Al Taweel to volley home his seventh goal of the tournament.

And after Basger wasted a chance to pull a goal back less than a minute later, Al Wadi further extended Kuwait’s lead in the 31st minute when he stabbed the ball through a crowded penalty area and into the bottom corner.

Hayat then added his second of the game a minute later after squeezing the ball under the body of an out-rushing Spathis.

Seeto was able to get a goal back for Australia with seven minutes remaining, but with the Futsalroos pushing for more goals, Al Wadi struck into an empty net on the counterattack.

Basger’s shot from a tight angle with two minutes remaining gave Australia another glimmer of hope, but Kuwait saw out the final minutes to seal their place in the quarter-finals.

According to AFC

Kaoru Morioka scored with just under five minutes remaining as defending champions Japan edged out former finalists Thailand 3-2 in an enthralling quarter-final at the AFC Futsal Championship on Wednesday.

Kazuhiro Nibuya and Nobuya Osodo opened the scoring for Japan in the re-match of the 2012 final at Ton Duc Thang University Stadium only for Thailand to level an enthralling tie as Suphawut Thueanklang and Jirawat Sornwichian struck either side of half-time.

But with Morioka netting his second goal of the campaign, Japan remained on course for a third AFC Futsal Championship.

After an even start to the contest with both sides showing plenty of attacking intent, Thailand came close to a breakthrough after six minutes as Piyapan Ratana’s long range strike struck the foot of the Japan post with goalkeeper Jun Fujiwara rooted to the spot.

Japan, though, took full advantage of the let off and opened the scoring less than a minute later as Nibuya slid in at the back post to convert Akira Minamoto’s low cross and claim his fourth goal of the campaign.

And Japan doubled their lead six minutes before half-time as Osodo rounded Thailand goalkeeper Katawut Hankampa on the edge of the penalty area, and despite being forced wide by the prone custodian, was able to squeeze home his sixth goal in four games between covering defender Suphawut and the post.

Thailand enjoyed more possession in the closing stages of the first half, but with Japan holding a comfortable advantage and having brought up five fouls, they were content in sitting back.

But with just over five seconds remaining in the first half, Japan did concede their sixth foul close to the halfway line and Suphawut beat Fujiwara from the 10-metre penalty spot to claim his seventh goal of the campaign.

And five minutes into the second half the scores were level as Jirawat found a way past Fujiwara at his near post from Wiwat Thaijaruen’s pass.

Thailand goalkeeper Katawut kept the scores level with just over eight minutes remaining with a superb fingertip save from Shota Hoshi, although the custodian was still feeling the after effects of an earlier accidental collision with Nibuya.

But with five just under five minutes remaining, Morioka spun away from Piyapan close to the touchline before dispatching his shot past Katawut and into the far corner to reclaim the lead for Japan.

Thailand coach Victor Hermans responded by introducing Jirawat in place of Katawut with just over three minutes remaining when his side were attacking, and the move nearly paid off almost instantly as Jirawat rattled the Japan post.

But Japan stood firm and did have a chance to seal the win in the closing seconds, but Katawut saved Kotaro Inaba’s penalty, although there was no time for Thailand to mount one final attack.

According to AFC