European races go down to wire

The European season is winding down, which means title and relegation races are heating up. In England, league leader Manchester United hit a speed bump Wednesday, losing 1-0 at Wigan, which moved out of the relegation zone (at least temporarily) from 18th place to 17th with the surprise victory. Wigan has 31 points, two ahead of Bolton. If the season ended now, Bolton, Blackburn and Woverhampton would drop down. The Man U loss means that Manchester City moved within two points of the lead with its 4-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday and its 6-1win against Norwich on Saturday. United was 25-4-4 heading into the weekend and seeking a record 20th English Premier League title. It has 79 points withfive games remaining, and City (24-5-5) has 77. City hasn’t won the league title since 1968. The cross-city rivals play each other at Manchester City on April 30. “The title race is finished because United is a fantastic team, and they have a fantastic spirit. I think five points is too much,” City manager Roberto Mancini said after Wednesday’s win. Meanwhile, the FA Cup semifinals conclude Sunday. The tournament doesn’t seem to have the sizzle it once did, but the match between Tottenham and Chelsea should be a good one. Tottenham is coming off 2-1loss to Norwich on Monday, and desperate to finish the year strong after a slump. Only the topthree teams get automatic berthsto the Champions League for next season, and Tottenham sits in fourth behind Man U, City and Arsenal. Chelsea, meanwhile, could be distracted with Lionel Messi on the mind, as it plays Barcelona onWednesday in the Champions League semifinal