LONDON - Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini considered substituting Mario Balotelli after just five minutes of their Premier League match against Sunderland on Saturday in which the striker scored twice in a disappointing 3-3 draw for the title chasers.
Mancini, who said on Friday Balotelli could not be trusted, pondered taking off his fellow Italian before the forward's first-half penalty and a late second helped City battle back to secure a point after trailing 3-1 with five minutes to play.
"I thought about taking him off after five minutes but in the end he scored two goals," said Mancini.
"He didn't play well. In a game like this the strikers should be the difference but not in the last two minutes, in the minutes before."
He added: "A player like Mario or (Edin) Dzeko should score two or three goals in a game like this. In this moment we need Carlos Tevez, a striker who can do different. I want this."
Despite dropping two points - the first time City have lost any points at home this season after 15 straight wins - Mancini said the title race was far from over.
Manchester United top the table with 73 points, followed by City on 71, but the leaders will stretch their advantage to five points if they beat Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park today.
Mancini though, was putting an optimistic spin on things, saying: "I think on Monday United will probably draw and we will be three points behind.
"It is hard but we have another seven games. We have done some mistakes in the last games but also United can arrive in a difficult moment. It is important we are there."
Despite their failure to win Sunderland are ninth and remain in the hunt for a Europa League place for next season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal's seven-match winning league run ended when they lost 2-1 at strugglers Queens Park Rangers, while Chelsea maintained their push for a top four spot with a 4-2 win at Aston Villa.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are beginning to look doomed after their seventh successive home league loss as they went down 3-2 against Bolton Wanderers.
That result left Wolves on 22 points, six adrift of Blackburn, QPR and Wigan Athletic, who continued their revival with a 2-0 home win over Stoke City.
Man City in disarray
LONDON - Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini considered substituting Mario Balotelli after just five minutes of their Premier League match against Sunderland on Saturday in which the striker scored twice in a disappointing 3-3 draw for the title chasers.
Mancini, who said on Friday Balotelli could not be trusted, pondered taking off his fellow Italian before the forward's first-half penalty and a late second helped City battle back to secure a point after trailing 3-1 with five minutes to play.
"I thought about taking him off after five minutes but in the end he scored two goals," said Mancini.
"He didn't play well. In a game like this the strikers should be the difference but not in the last two minutes, in the minutes before."
He added: "A player like Mario or (Edin) Dzeko should score two or three goals in a game like this. In this moment we need Carlos Tevez, a striker who can do different. I want this."
Despite dropping two points - the first time City have lost any points at home this season after 15 straight wins - Mancini said the title race was far from over.
Manchester United top the table with 73 points, followed by City on 71, but the leaders will stretch their advantage to five points if they beat Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park today.
Mancini though, was putting an optimistic spin on things, saying: "I think on Monday United will probably draw and we will be three points behind.
"It is hard but we have another seven games. We have done some mistakes in the last games but also United can arrive in a difficult moment. It is important we are there."
Despite their failure to win Sunderland are ninth and remain in the hunt for a Europa League place for next season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal's seven-match winning league run ended when they lost 2-1 at strugglers Queens Park Rangers, while Chelsea maintained their push for a top four spot with a 4-2 win at Aston Villa.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are beginning to look doomed after their seventh successive home league loss as they went down 3-2 against Bolton Wanderers.
That result left Wolves on 22 points, six adrift of Blackburn, QPR and Wigan Athletic, who continued their revival with a 2-0 home win over Stoke City.
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