MANCHESTER, England — Carlos Tevez proved how priceless he is to Manchester City with a stunning brace in a 3-0 victory over Stoke City Tuesday, lifting the Eastlands outfit to third in the English Premier League table.
The FA Cup winners already have UEFA Champions League soccer secured for next season but have now edged ahead of Arsenal in the standings with the team finishing fourth facing a potentially tricky playoff to reach the lucrative group stages.
Whether Tevez will be present for next season’s feast at European soccer’s top table remains to be seen, with question marks remaining over his long-term future at Eastlands.
But Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini insisted after the match the team’s captain, who again demonstrated his class with a deadly double, wants to stay with the club.
“I talk with him many times. I don’t think we have a problem with him,” said Mancini. “He is a fantastic striker and a fantastic player for us and I think that he will stay here next year.
“He told me like this, that he wanted to stay. He has a five-year contract.”
The Argentinian broke the deadlock against a Stoke team still smarting from its Wembley defeat, playing a one-two with James Milner before weaving away from two challenges and smashing a rising effort beyond Thomas Sorensen in the 14th minute.
Joleon Lescott made it 2-0 early in the second period with a close-range header after being set up by Adam Johnson, before Tevez produced arguably the moment of the match, curling home a 30-yard free-kick with such power, pace and precision it left Sorensen grasping at thin air as the ball ripped into the top right corner.
The sublime strike put Tevez level with Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov as the Premier League’s top scorer with 21 goals ahead of City’s final game of the season at Bolton Sunday.
