Premier League: Bolton 0 Manchester City 2

Manchester City secured their highest top-flight finish for 34 years with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Bolton at the Reebok Stadium.

Goals from Joleon Lescott and substitute Edin Dzeko ensured that the Sky Blues finished third which means they will go straight into the Champions League group stages, avoiding qualifying.

The result crowns a landmark first season for boss Roberto Mancini, who only eight days earlier secured the FA Cup – City’s first silverware in 35 years.

But Bolton’s season ended in disappointment with five successive league defeats after suffering Wembley heartbreak in their FA Cup semi-final thrashing by Stoke.

City went close as early as the fifth minute when David Silva pulled the ball to Carlos Tevez in the six-yard box and his strike hit Zat Knight in the midriff and away to safety.

Bolton responded with Kevin Davies flashing a header just wide from Chung-Yong Lee’s corner, before Joe Hart made a stunning save to deny Johann Elmander’s fierce 15-yard strike.

But the visitors missed a golden chance to go ahead 10 minutes before the break when Dedryck Boyata’s cross picked out Gareth Barry, only for the England man to head against the bar from three yards out.

Five minutes later, Yaya Toure sprinted the length of the field but saw his shot parried by Jussi Jaaskalinen before Silva blasted an attempt over the bar.

But after wasting those clear-cut chances, City went into the break ahead when Vincent Kompany ducked out of the way of Adam Johnson’s corner for the ball to hit an unaware Lescott on the head and loop into the net.

Fifteen minutes after the restart, they doubled their advantage as Dzeko scored with his first shot after coming off the bench.

Tevez, as ever, was instrumental – driving at the Bolton defence and feeding Barry, whose cross was half stopped by Gary Cahill before Dzeko put the ball in the net on the half-turn.