City not nervous, claims Mancini

Man City

v

Man Utd

Team Stat Comparison

	Manchester City	Manchester United
Matches Played	35	35
Table Position	2	1
Points	80	83
Goal Difference	60	54
Goals for *	3.0	2.1
Goals against *	0.6	0.8
Last 5	W-W-W-L-D	D-W-L-W-W
Last 5 home	W-D-W-W-W	D-W-W-W-W
Last 5 away	W-W-L-D-L	L-W-W-W-W
*  Goals per match - home matches for home club and away matches for away club
Stats: Manchester City | Manchester United

Competition Stats

	Manchester City	Manchester United
Goals	Sergio Agüero 22	Wayne Rooney 26
Assists	David Silva 13	Antonio Valencia 13
Yellows	Gareth Barry 7	Patrice Evra 6
Reds	Mario Balotelli 2	Jonathan Evans 1
Squads: Manchester City | Manchester United

Tables

PO	TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Man Utd	35	26	5	4	86	32	54	83
2	Man City	35	25	5	5	87	27	60	80
3	Arsenal	36	20	6	10	68	44	24	66
4	Newcastle	35	18	8	9	53	46	7	62
5	Tottenham	34	17	8	9	57	39	18	59
6	Chelsea	34	16	10	8	56	38	18	58
7	Everton	35	14	9	12	46	38	8	51
8	Liverpool	35	13	10	12	43	37	6	49
9	Fulham	35	12	10	13	45	48	-3	46
10	West Brom	36	13	7	16	41	47	-6	46
11	Sunderland	36	11	12	13	44	43	1	45
12	Swansea	36	11	11	14	43	49	-6	44
13	Norwich	36	11	10	15	47	63	-16	43
14	Stoke	35	11	10	14	33	49	-16	43
15	Aston Villa	36	7	16	13	36	50	-14	37
16	Wigan	36	9	10	17	38	60	-22	37
17	QPR	35	9	7	19	39	57	-18	34
18	Bolton	35	10	4	21	41	69	-28	34
19	Blackburn	35	8	7	20	47	73	-26	31
20	Wolves	36	5	9	22	38	79	-41	24

Next Matches

Manchester City		Manchester United
4/30	H: Manchester United	4/30	A: Manchester City
5/6	A: Newcastle United	5/6	H: Swansea City
5/13	H: Queens Park Rangers	5/13	A: Sunderland

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini claims there have been no nerves in the build-up to Monday's crunch derby against Manchester United.

The two heavyweight title rivals meet at the Etihad Stadium in one of the biggest and most eagerly-anticipated matches in Barclays Premier League history.

With City trailing league leaders United by just three points going into the game, the stakes are high, but Mancini has continually played down his side's chances.

Even though victory would take City back to the top of the table with just two matches remaining, Mancini insists United would remain title favourites and because of that, he says the pressure is yet to show.

The Italian said: "It is impossible to be worried for Monday yet. It is football, not work.

"Maybe Monday morning there will be pressure, but this is normal for us or for United. But not now, I don't think this.''

Mancini first wrote off his side's title prospects after a damaging defeat at Arsenal three weeks ago left them trailing by eight points.

He has maintained that stance since, despite seeing his side cut the gap with impressive successive wins over West Brom, Norwich and Wolves, while United have faltered against Wigan and Everton.

With a testing trip to Newcastle and a home clash with struggling QPR still to come, Mancini says his side have the harder run-in as United play Swansea and Sunderland.

Mancini said: "Now we have this small chance but I think it is important that after Arsenal we just continue to play football.

"We have only one chance because they lost a point against Everton, but I think it will be difficult.

"They have one difficult game against us, then they have two easy games. They will probably get six points.

"It is clear if we have a chance - we want to take that chance - but I don't know.''

Mario Balotelli is available again having served a three-match ban but it remains to be seen whether he will be recalled given the form of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez. Defender Micah Richards (hamstring) is also fit again after missing last week's win at Wolves.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson must decide whether to make changes.

Full-back Rafael would appear to be at the most risk of losing his place from the team that threw away a two-goal lead in the final seven minutes of last Sunday's encounter with Everton.

Phil Jones and Chris Smalling could both step in, while Ferguson may also opt to reinforce his midfield with either Ryan Giggs, Tom Cleverley or Park Ji-sung at the expense of a wide player or Danny Welbeck.

Giggs has admitted games like Monday's Manchester derby are the reason why he is still operating at the highest level.

Should he play some part at the Etihad Stadium, it will be Giggs' 908th appearance for the Red Devils, an incredible 36 of which would have been against City.

As someone who, as a schoolboy, trained with the Blues and then grew up in the city, Giggs is acutely aware of how important these all-Manchester battles have always been.

Now though, it is something else, right up there with the very biggest matches Giggs has appeared in throughout his long and illustrious career.

"These are the sort games which I am still involved in football for,'' he said.

"They are big, title-deciding games.

"Apart from cup finals this is as big as you can get.''

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Three points in front but with a significantly inferior goal difference, Giggs knows the price of failure would be concession of United's place at the top of the Premier League.

Conversely, victory, or even a draw, would almost guarantee a record 20th league title.

The importance does not need to be underlined.

Yet Giggs admits the players cannot get drawn into such matters, as difficult as it is to avoid.

"They've been saying for the last two or three years that every derby is the biggest ever,'' he said.

"Obviously with three games to go and almost being neck and neck going to the finish there is no mistaking this is a massive game and the biggest in recent times.

"But as a United player, you're used to big games.

"You have to block out all the hype and the predictions. That's been going on all the season anyway, with people saying City were going to win the title and then United.

"It's different for the fans. I must admit it's hard but you have to be professional and not let emotions get too far ahead of you.

"Our job is to train well and be ready to perform when kick-off comes.''