Mancini: Title race could end Sunday

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has admitted his side’s title hopes could be over by Sunday night.

The long-time Premier League leaders have fallen five points behind rivals Manchester United with just seven games remaining following a series of costly results in March.

City could even be trailing by eight points by the time they kick off in their next match at Arsenal on Sunday if United beat QPR earlier in the day.

Should that happen, and City then lose to the Gunners, Mancini would accept the race was over.

“If we lose against Arsenal and they beat QPR – yes,” said Mancini, when asked if that would be the case.

But the Italian insists he is not thinking that way as he prepares for the crucial trip to the Emirates Stadium.

City have come unstuck in recent weeks after a defeat at Swansea and draws against Stoke and Sunderland.

Mancini said: “I think always positive, I can’t think this.

“Against Sunderland we didn’t play very well, for me we were so flat in the first-half.

“But we shot 25 times on goal, we had 65% ball possession. Sunderland shot three times at goal and scored three goals.

“We did some mistakes defensively but we were unlucky.

“But now we can say nothing, we can’t think about Sunderland. We should think positive for the next seven games.

“I think it may be more difficult but it is my opinion that this championship is not finished.”

Their preparations were hampered when striker Mario Balotelli was involved in a car accident in Manchester city centre yesterday, police confirmed yesterday.

The 21-year-old, who drives a Bentley, was in collision with another vehicle in Medlock Street, near Deansgate.

Balotelli is understood to have been unhurt in the incident but a passenger from one of the cars was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Some critics have claimed City’s title bid has been destabilised by the almost continual headline-commanding activities of Balotelli.

The enigmatic Italian has generated an extraordinary amount of news throughout his two seasons at the club for both his on and off-field antics.

He has been on front and back pages this week but Mancini, speaking before Balotelli’s crash, believes much of it is blown out of proportion.

Mancini said: “There are some people who think bad things against other people, like Mario.

“Every time Mario does something, (it) is like a war.

“There are other people on and off the pitch that do worse than Mario and no-one says anything because maybe they play for an important team or are not like Mario.”