Bolton Wanderers 0 Manchester C 2:MANCHESTER CITY made sure of third place in the Premier League and automatic qualification for the Champions League group stage with a win at Bolton, just about the only disappointing aspect of a wonderful finish to the season being Carlos Tevez's failure to score and thus take the Golden Boot outright.

The Argentinian striker had chances but was not in the imperious form he showed in midweek against Stoke City, although City did not need him to be against a Bolton side who looked badly in need of a break after a closing run of five defeats. Roberto Mancini repeated his belief Tevez would be with the club next season.

“We deserved third place, it has been a fantastic season,” the City manager said. “Finishing in this position means we can stay at home for the holidays and have a proper pre-season. We can stay calm and just think of the Charity Shield.”

That should probably read “relatively calm”. In addition to keeping their leading scorer sweet, City will try to bring in new players as early in the summer as they can. “We need some players with Champions League experience, and maybe three or four younger players as well,” Mancini said. “You have to be able to cope with the Champions League and the domestic league. We do not want to do what Tottenham have just done and put all our strength into Europe.”

The first half-hour was evenly contested, with Johan Elmander bringing a great save from Joe Hart and Kevin Davies putting a header just wide, before City’s Gareth Barry headed against the bar from two yards. Adam Johnson then shot over the bar after David Silva had gone close. Silva should have scored when Jussi Jaaskelainen blocked a shot from Tevez in the 39th minute.

When the visitors got their noses in front two minutes before the break it was with a soft goal from Joleon Lescott. The defender was certainly laughing when the ball ended up in the net from Adam Johnson’s corner. Shielded from the flight of the ball by Vincent Kompany, who ducked out of the way at the last moment, Lescott failed to leap or even attack the ball but still saw it bounce off his head and beyond Jaaskelainen.

Daniel Sturridge opened the second half by rolling a shot wide. The visitors sent on Edin Dzeko after an hour and he made the game safe with virtually his first touch, or the two touches it took to beat Jaaskelainen. His first effort from Barry’s left-wing cross was blocked, but the ball bounced kindly and with the goalkeeper down it was a simple matter for Dzeko to turn and put the ball into an empty net.

There was time for Sturridge to complete a miserable afternoon with a studs-up lunge at Dzeko’s shins that earned a straight red.