WOLVERHAMPTON: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini expects his side to lose their key title clash with Manchester United despite seeing the team revive their quest for Premier League glory.
Mancini, who has repeatedly played down City’s hopes of being crowned champions of England for the first time in 44 years, saw his men move to within three points of United with a 2-0 win away to Wolves on Sunday.
Goals from Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri meant City, whose win relegated Wolves, could now go top on goal difference with two matches then remaining if they beat United at Eastlands next Monday after the champions were held to a shock 4-4 draw by Everton at Old Trafford earlier Sunday.
“We will talk about one team winning the title on Monday night (April 30) if we beat them,” said Mancini.
“I probably expect us to lose to Manchester United. Their players are used to playing under pressure every year. But we don’t have any pressure as we have no chance of winning.”
Most observers believe Mancini is merely trying to lift the pressure off City and trying to deflect it onto Sir Alex Ferguson’s men by insisting United have already won a 20th English title.
But whether Mancini really believes what he’s saying or not, he is sticking to his guns all the same.
“I’m standing by what I said,” Mancini insisted. “We are still three points behind. I’m smiling because we can finish well this season.
“We’ve won three (successive) games and now we have a derby. We want to play well for our supporters,” added Mancini, whose side were eight points adrift of United just a few weeks ago.
“I don’t think we played as well as we did against Norwich and West Brom,” conceded Mancini. “We only played so-so.”
“Congratulations to Sir Alex for his season and his title!”
Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said the upcoming clash with Premier League title rivals Manchester City represents the most important derby match of his career.
United will go into the match on the back of a stunning 4-4 draw at home to Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday that has revived a seemingly moribund title race.
Hours after they’d squandered 3-1 and 4-2 leads, Ferguson’s men saw City reduce their lead at the top of the table with a 2-0 win at Wolves that also relegated the Black Country club.
And should City, who earlier this season thrashed United 6-1 in the league before losing 3-2 at home to them in an FA Cup clash, win at their Eastlands ground next Monday, they will return to the summit on goal difference with two games remaining.
“This is definitely the most important derby game I have been involved in,” said Ferguson, in charge at Old Trafford since 1986. “It’s game on.
“We have given them (City) the initiative, there is no question about that, and it makes next week a decider really. “We’ve made it harder for ourselves, as we normally do, we have to go there but we know we are capable of getting a result.
“There has been an expectancy from City that this could be their title decider but it is our decider too.” (Agencies)