Manchester City Closes In on Title Two obstacles stand in the way of Manchester City and its first top-level title in England since 1967-68: Pappis Cissé and Newcastle United. Then there is next Sunday's game against the relegation-challenged Queens Park Rangers to end the Premier League season. In the often cliché-ridden parlance of soccer, City's early start (8:30 a.m. Eastern) is a "massive fixture" as it battles its crosstown rival, United, the winner of 19 league titles, including eight Premier League crowns (and two in the Champions League) since 1998-99. The two Manchester clubs are tied at the top with 83 points, but City has a superior goal differential, the first tiebreaker. Last Monday, City beat United, 1-0, on a goal by defender Vincent Kompany. Sunday's schedule includes two more City-United clashes: Newcastle United vs. Manchester City and Manchester United vs. Swansea City. "Beating United has given us the confidence we need for the last two games," City midfielder David Silva told reporters. Silva has a tender ankle but has vowed to play. It has been a very long and tough season. The Newcastle game is like a final for us now. We have to win it. That might be easier said than done. Newcastle has won seven of its last eight Premier League games, powered by the exceptional play of the Senegalese striker Cissé, who has scored 13 goals in 12 games since being acquired by the Magpies from Freiburg of Germany's Bundesliga in the January transfer period. That run includes both goals in Newcastle's 2-0 victory at Chelsea on Wednesday. One of those scores could well be among the goals of the year - an audacious long-range shot from the left flank that sliced over the head of goalkeeper Petr Cech. Newcastle is threatening to supplant Tottenham in fourth place and claim England's last spot in next season's Champions League, provided that Chelsea does not beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on May 19. City travels to St. James" Park, where the Magpies are unbeaten at home in 2012. "Newcastle will be our hardest game - harder than United," City Manager Roberto Mancini, fresh off last week's touchline altercation with United Manager Alex Ferguson, said. It is strange but it is like this. As recently as April 8, United, the defending league champion, held an 8-point lead over City as Mancini sheepishly conceded the title, only to see the Red Devils go 2-2-1 over their last five and let City back into the race. "By the time we kick off we'll know what we'll need to do," Ferguson said of the early match at Old Trafford. The challenge for City is to win at Newcastle. Their form is good and it won't be an easy game for City. We'll be aware of the game going on before ours. You can't avoid it. Ferguson will again be without the services of defender Jonny Evans, who was injured in a wild 4-4 draw against Everton on April 22, and striker Danny Welbeck, who injured an ankle against City last Monday. Swansea, the only Welsh team in the Premier League this season, has fallen into 12th place after a run of two losses and two ties in its last five games. United closes out the season at Sunderland next Sunday, a team that entered the weekend with four ties and a loss in its last five games. "The way Swansea have played this season has been admirable," Ferguson said. I went to see them last weekend. They want to play football. The manager has stuck by his principles and they've had a fantastic season. Brendan Rodgers of Northern Ireland is in his first season as manager of Swansea City, which won promotion to the Premier League this season and will stick around in 2012-13. CHELSEA SEEKS STADIUM SITE Chelsea has submitted an offer to buy London's Battersea Power Station with a view to building a new stadium on the site of the landmark that looms over the Thames. The Premier League club has developed plans for a 60,000-seat stadium on the site of the derelict plant to preserve the four white, 300-foot chimneys that are featured on the cover of Pink Floyd's "Animals" album. "Battersea Power Station is one of London's most famous buildings and has the potential to become one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world," the club said in a statement.