MX23RW : Wednesday, April 2 23:40:56| >> :120:5039:5039:

Roberto Mancini eases pressure off Manchester derby

Roberto Mancini insists that the Manchester derby will not decide the Premier League title winners as the Italian is adamant that the race is over.

Roberto Mancini has played down the significance of the Manchester derby on Monday evening, despite only three points separating the local rivals.

Manchester City could go to the top of the table with a win over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium next week due to the side's superior goal difference, but the Italian boss continues to believe that the title race is over.

"The derby is always the game of the year and this one is no different," Mancini said. "But we don't only have this one - there was another derby when we won 6-1 at Old Trafford.

"That was fantastic; a game that can happen only once every hundred years. For the supporters, a derby is always a different game to the others. But we must not forget that there are two more games after Monday. Two very tough games.

"The biggest match was the FA Cup final last season. This is a derby but just one more game. The only important thing is to win. We have three points less than United. We need only to play football. We are calm because we know we don't have any chance to win this title."

City will face Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers following the highly-anticipated derby, while United go head to head with Swansea City and Sunderland in their final two matches of the season.

ID:25016: cacheID:25016:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2215:
Written by
Danielle Joynson
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Micah Richards
Read Next:
Richards, Toure fitness doubts for Man City
>
Read more about Roberto Mancini Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool29217169274270
2Arsenal301710355253061
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest30176750351557
4Chelsea29147853371649
5Manchester CityMan City29146955401548
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2814594738947
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton29121164842647
8Fulham3012994440445
9Aston Villa2912984145-445
10Bournemouth29128948361244
11Brentford29125125045541
12Crystal Palace2810993633339
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd30107133741-437
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs291041555431234
15Everton2971393236-434
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham3097143350-1734
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves3085174158-1729
18Ipswich TownIpswich2938182862-3417
19Leicester CityLeicester2945202565-4017
20Southampton2923242170-499


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!