Over the course of an entire season, it is still incredible to see that for all that time on pitch, major outcomes can come right down to the final half of the final game of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur boss, Andre Villas-Boas, will know all too well how small the margins are for success and failure in the Premier League, as Spurs just missed out on Champions League football to their bitter north London rivals, Arsenal.

The fallout of missing the top tier tournament in European football is still to be felt at The Lane, with doubts over Spurs star Gareth Bales and who the club will be able to bring in over the summer without the lure of Champions League action.

The end of season report for Tottenham notes that they secured their highest ever Premier League points tally with 72 this season but that has been little consolation for Villas-Boas, who knows his side will have to raise their game even further if they are to make that extra step next season.

He said: “To manage so many points and not make it means the level has come up, and it serves a reference for next season. Others have pushed on a level and next year we have to improve, so it is a good lesson to take into next season. It is a pity we missed it this season, because normally it would be enough to qualify.”

The Premier League looks set to be wide open next season with so many changes going on at the biggest clubs in England. If Spurs can keep hold of Bale and bring some extra quality to the club, they will certainly be in the mix for Champions League qualification next term.

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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has hinted that striker Edin Dzeko could be in line for a starting berth in the FA Cup final against Wigan Athletic on Saturday after his winner against West Bromwich Albion secured Champions League football for City next season.

When asked if Dzeko was in his thoughts for the FA Cup final Mancini suggested that if the Bosnian was not too fatigued from the game against Albion, then he would certainly be in with a shout. “Yes, (he) could be,” the Italian said. “I am happy because he scored an important goal. With his goal we are in the Champions League and probably in second position. We have four days to recover from this game, so could be.”

Despite the departure of Mario Balotelli earlier in the season, Dzeko has found it hard to secure regular first team football, with Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero above him in the pecking order, and he has started only 17 games this term. Having gained something of a reputation as a super-sub, the former Wolfsburg man has, however, managed to bag himself 14 goals this season and his contribution is not lost on Mancini. “In the end he has scored important goals this season,” the City boss said, “I think he is one of the best in Europe for me.”

Having missed out retaining the league title this season the City players will be desperate to regain the FA Cup that they won back in 2011 and begin the game as heavy FA Cup favourites. Dzeko, who has appeared only twice in their cup run so far, will be more keen than most to show his worth. If given the chance by Mancini, Dzeko will undoubtedly cause problems for the Wigan defence and, given his scoring record scoring in crucial games, there will be plenty of activity in UK Betting markets backing him to hit the back of the net.

Newcastle United fans must be wondering if they’ll ever see Ryan Taylor in a Magpies shirt again after the defender suffered a further cruciate knee ligament injury this week.

The 28-year-old first injured his knee during Newcastle’s Europe League match with Atromitos in August – a hurt that effectively ruled him out for the rest of this season.

Sadly, despite surgery, rehabilitation and a return to training Taylor has suffered a repeat injury and is now likely to be out until August 2014.

To miss the majority of one season is bad for a career but to go almost 24 months without kicking a competitive football is practically disastrous. For Taylor is a defender who wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t the kind of man to pull out of defensive duties – yet he may have to change his game when he returns.

He will definitely lose some of his reaction speed and instead must rely more on his footballing brain to drop off strikers when necessary and give him that extra yard. He was a boisterous, rough force in the Newcastle back line but sadly he cannot play to such a level of physical commitment with a reconstructed knee.

Another high profile case is Ledley King, who was forced to retire last season after suffering recurrent knee problems. Italian striker Giuseppe Rossi, meanwhile, has only just recovered from an 18-month knee problem and it is unknown how he will cope with Serie A action for Fiorentina.

The news is both disheartening and disappointing for fans on Betfair Football, as Taylor is well liked at St James’ Park and respected throughout the Premier League. At 28 his career might not be over just yet but a two-year absence is not something one easily bounces back from.

Newcastle play Liverpool this weekend, in a game that could help inch them back towards safety.

Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, has made it clear that he is determined to use this summer as a chance to assemble a squad capable of reclaiming a Premier League title that appears to be heading back to Old Trafford.

The Italian has made no secret for a number of weeks that this year’s title race has been won by Manchester United, blaming a lack of strength in depth as the main reason for this season’s failure in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Despite bringing in Jack Rodwell, Javi Garcia, Matija Nastasic, Scott Sinclair, and Maicon, Mancini has insisted he needed more options if City were going to be able to build on last year’s achievements and move forward this season.

“We know we can win the title next season but this year we made some mistakes,” admitted Mancini to Betfair Football.

“We would probably be at the top… probably also in a Champions League quarter-final. We had a chance to get three or four players that would have improved our team but now it is finished with. We have got three months where we can work well and improve our team.”

But despite Mancini’s comments, there is still more than a splash of doubt regarding whether or not the Italian will still be in charge of City by the start of next season.

Even if the club manage to win the FA Cup for the second season running, City’s failure to defend their Premier League title, as well as continuing to make little impact in the Champions League, Mancini could find himself out of a job this summer.

Jose Mourinho, anyone?

Norwich boss, Chris Hughton, says his side need to show “belief and confidence” as they continue their fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

After a bright start to the campaign, the Canaries previously looked safe, but a run of just one win in 15 league matches has seen them drop down the table and they are now just five points clear of the drop zone.

The Norfolk side’s poor run has coincided with the form of a number of the teams below them massively improving and Saturday’s draw with Swansea came on the same day that Aston Villa continued their resurgence with a win away at Stoke.

They now have six games left to ensure their survival and the run-in certainly has not been kind to them, with Arsenal next time out and Manchester City on the final day, although they do have winnable games against the likes of Reading and Villa.

This is the point in the season when managers really learn about their players and the former Newcastle boss could do with some of his underperforming stars to stand up and be counted.

Hughton recognises that his side are now well and truly in a relegation battle but is refusing to panic and has called on his players use “belief and confidence” to ensure they do not drop into the Championship.

“It is getting tough,” he told Premier League betting news reporters. “But we know all the teams around where we are are all capable of winning football matches.

“We have to make sure that in this final six games of the season, of which three are at home, we get enough points.

“And if we show enough belief and confidence, like we did today in good phases, then we will have done enough.”

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