Fans' running battles mar Zenit St Petersburg's runaway title triumph | Jonathan Wils

[Jonathan Wilson]

Gazprom-backed Zenit have been exceptional in wrapping up the title in Russia with two games to spare, having lost only twice

Last week's defeat by CSKA Moscow turned out, as was always likely, to be merely a hiccup. Zenit St Petersburg wrapped up the league title with two games to spare on Sunday with a 5-0 win over Rostov, and not even the most blinkered Muscovite could claim they didn't deserve it. Zenit have won 20 of 28 games so far this campaign, lost only twice, and have a goal-difference of +40. The league, in truth, was won by June.

Coverage on Sunday tended to focus on what happened after the final whistle, as fans invaded the pitch and tore down one of the goals at the Petrovsky. Large numbers – reports vary from 200 to 2,000 – then moved on to Nevsky Prospekt, where they were met by riot police, leading to running battles in the streets. The scenes were regrettable and sadly predictable. In a country where football violence is on the rise, Zenit's hardcore is among the most militant and, following their clashes with Hajduk Split fans before a Europa League game earlier this season, the trouble would be bad news for Russia's World Cup bid – if anybody actually believed such matters were about anything other than politics.

On the pitch, though, Zenit have been exceptional. The money provided by Gazprom has helped, of course, particularly in an age when most clubs are scaling back. The likes of Anatoliy Tymoschuk, Alejandro Domínguez and Pavel Pogrebnyak have all left over the past year and a bit, but they have been more than adequately replaced.

Alexander Kerzhakov has been the most conspicuous success, scoring 13 league goals, and 14 in his last 12 in all competitions. But the likes of the Portuguese defender Bruno Alves, the Serbians Danko Lazovic and Aleksandar Lukovic and the Belarusian goalkeeper Yuri Zhevnov, all new arrivals, each had important parts to play.

The veteran Sergei Semak added nous to the midfield and won his fourth league title with a third club, while Alexander Bukharov offered a muscular attacking presence from the bench. His arrival in mid-summer, in fact, seemed to kick Kerzhakov into life; a signing that paid off less for what he achieved himself than for what he made others do. Even more crucially, by signing them Zenit stripped the defending champions Rubin Kazan of two of their key players. Rubin now trail CSKA by two points in the battle for second.

But Luciano Spalletti must also take great credit, settling quickly to become probably the most successful Italian leader in Russia since Palmiro Togliatti. It was Spalletti who pioneered strikerlessness at Roma by using Francesco Totti as a central forward who dropped off into midfield to leave a vacuum into which others could break, and while his system at Zenit wasn't so extreme as that, it has still been focused on a highly fluid front line.

Kerzhakov, even as the goals started to flow, has a tendency to pull deep and left, something that began during his first spell at the club when he formed a devastating partnership with Andrey Arshavin, something **** Advocaat appears to be trying to reproduce with the Russia team. Earlier in the season that meant he interchanged with Danny, with Vladimir Bystrov offering pace and width on the right. More recently, the tendency has been for Lazovic to operate on the left, with Danny, the side's main creator, on the right. That has the benefit that when he cuts inside, Alexander Anyukov, a more attacking full-back than either Lukovic or Tomas Hubocan, the two candidates at left-back, can advance into the space he vacates.

The balance of the midfield three can then be adjusted according to the opponent. Against Rostov, for instance, Igor Denisov sat deep, with Semak and Konstantin Zyryanov, two old wise heads, just advanced of him. The aim was to retain possession, presumably to settle any nerves after the CSKA defeat. In that game against CSKA, it had been more of an orthodox 4-2-3-1, with Bystrov right and Danny used in advance of Denisov and Semak, and the result was that Zenit never took control of midfield. There is also the option of the remarkably versatile Roman Shirokov, who began as an attacking midfielder, was converted into a centre-back by Guus Hiddink and now seems most comfortable on the left of a midfield three.

This, in other words, is a squad with quality and, crucially, depth. It is arguable that when Zenit won the Uefa Cup two seasons ago they had a better starting XI, if only because they had Tymoshchuk and Arshavin in great form. This side, which comprises many of the same players, is more flexible and is probably better able to cope with injuries or suspensions.

Although they disappointed in being defeated 2-1 on aggregate by Auxerre in a Champions League qualifier – getting bogged down in midfield in the second leg, having two men sent off and conceding two soft goals from set plays – Zenit's form in Europe has been impressive. They now have four wins out of four, including a 3-1 win away over Anderlecht, in the Europa League group stage. On present form they look serious contenders to continue eastern Europe's fine run in the competition come the spring.

• Zenit St Petersburg

Jonathan Wilson

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