Mancini kept the faith in City title push

Roberto Mancini believes his Manchester City side will have deserved the Premier League title if they finish the job on Sunday.

City have clawed back an eight-point deficit on neighbours and rivals Manchester United to leave the title in their own hands going into the final match at home against QPR.

Mancini claimed that the title race was as good as over after losing 1-0 to Arsenal last month, but the turnaround in fortunes has been astonishing, City claiming maximum points over their last four games with United earning just four.

That culminated in a 1-0 victory for Mancini’s men in the Manchester derby and, after last week’s 2-0 success at Newcastle, City go into the final day top courtesy of goal difference.

Mancini feels the defeat at Arsenal may have taken the pressure off his side and spurred them on even more to win.

“In the moment it was good for us, it took off all our pressure. For two or three games we played completely free,” he said.

“We believed we could play a derby three or two points behind. We believed always, also when we were eight points behind.”

The Italian said that success on Sunday would be justified as would be testament to, in Mancini’s words, the ‘best’ football this season.

“We have played the better football, 100 percent. Even if we don’t win, we played the better football,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mancini insists that star man Yaya Toure is happy at the club despite growing speculation about a possible return to Barcelona.

The 29-year-old has been a crucial part of City’s title challenge this season, contributing six goals and five assists from midfield.

Earlier in the week the Ivorian, signed for 24 million pounds from Barca, told Catalan radio station RAC1 that he would ‘love to return’ to the ‘club of my life’.

However, Mancini assured City fans that the playmaker is going nowhere, stating that he does not believe his player said otherwise.

“I don’t think Yaya said this (that he wants to leave),” Mancini said.

“Maybe he said he likes Barca because he played there, Barca is the best team in the world.

“But I think he is happy here. I don’t think he can leave Manchester City.”