There was more than a little drama as Man City closed on the title and QPR left it late at home to Stoke.
Toure the hero for City; United ease past Swans; Villa hold Spurs; late show for QPR; Trotters throw it away
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson concedes neighbours City have 'probably two' hands on the Premier League trophy as the penultimate weekend of the season ended precisely as it had started with both clubs locked at the top, but with Roberto Mancini's side boasting a significantly superior goal difference.
On a day when Manchester City needed a big performance on their travels to Newcastle United it was Yaya Toure who led by example as his exquisitely taken brace was enough to silence an expectant St James' Park, while United beat Swansea by the same 2-0 scoreline in the day's late kick-off.
Alan Pardew's UEFA Champions League hopefuls threatened intermittently to do Manchester United a favour but few would deny Mancini's champions elect were full value for a three-point haul that takes them to the cusp of ending a 44-year wait for a league title.
Aston Villa are now all but certain of hosting top flight football after holding Tottenham to a draw in the Midlands, while QPR left it late to grab a hugely significant win over Stoke City.
Bolton let a two-goal lead slip at home to West Brom to drop two precious points, while Fulham won the day's only mid-table affair in edging past Sunderland.
At Molineux a stalemate was played out as Everton could not find a way past already down Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The best chance of a feisty first half in the North East that saw five players yellow carded fell to
Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry, whose low drive was cleared off the line after the mother of all scrambles in
Newcastle's box.
After the interval City repeatedly knocked at the door but it was only when Mancini made the big call to take off Samir Nasri for Nigel de Jong to allow Toure greater licence to drive on did a goal arrive.
And when it did it was a peach. After exchanging passes with the ever bright Sergio Aguero on 70 minutes the giant Ivorian showed wonderful composure in bending an inch perfect effort from the edge of the box beyond Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul's dive.
His second was from much closer but no less a finish when he rounded off a fine counter-attack with genuine élan in clipping a high effort past Krul from Gael Clichy's low cross, after City had ruthlessly made inroads on the break from a Newcastle corner. The title is now very much City's to lose as they hold an eight-goal advantage over their neighbours.
Manchester United went into their home clash with
Swansea City in the knowledge only a glut of goals would cause their neighbours any real consternation but had to settle for a polished if hardly prolific 2-0 victory.
Brendan Rodgers' side held out for just shy of half an hour only to be opened up when Antonio Valencia skipped past Neil Taylor to pull the ball back for Michael Carrick. The Euro 2012 hopeful's strike was on target but Paul Scholes was on hand to make sure with a lovely flick from close range.
Ferguson's charges did not have to wait long to extend their advantage as Ashley Young's cute angled right-footed daisy cutter beat Michel Vorm at his near post after Wayne Rooney had seen his snapshot blocked.
After half-time Swansea showed flashes of intent of their own but a lack of decisiveness in the final third ensured David de Gea was rarely
