City boss loses more ground in title talk

What a difference 10 months makes.

Yesterday Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini insisted he had not given up hope of retaining the Premier League title despite the yawning 12-point gap between his side and Manchester United.

The Italian said he would “never” think so negatively, comments that are hard to square with remarks he made as last season’s title race hurtled towards its unforgettable conclusion.