MANCHESTER, England – Manchester City is on the verge of qualifying for the group phase of nest season's Champions League after beating Stoke 3-0 Tuesday night, three days after defeating the same opponent in the FA Cup final to end a 35-year title drought.
Carlos Tevez scored in the 14th and 65th minutes to tie Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov for the league lead with 21 goals, and Joleon Lescott scored in the 53rd.
With one game left, Manchester City (20-9-8) has 68 points, one ahead of fourth-place Arsenal (19-8-10). While third place earns a Champions League first-round berth, fourth place goes to the playoff round.
Also Tuesday, Reading won 3-0 at Cardiff and advanced to the playoff final for a berth in the Premier League next season. Reading plays Swansea at Wembley on May 30.
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