MAN CITY NOT GIVING UP ON TITLE:Kolarov refuses to give up title hopes, Moyes frustrated by lack of options

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Manchester City still have a chance of winning the Premier League title this season, defender Aleksandar Kolarov said, despite Pep Guardiola’s men sliding 10 points behind leaders Chelsea after 21 games.

City slipped to fifth position after Sunday’s 4-0 thrashing at Everton but will hope to get back to winning ways when they host second-placed Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

“I still think the title race will go to the very last day and we have to make sure we’re involved,” Kolarov said.

“We just need to turn more games into wins because we’ve dominated some matches but not ended up winning,” he said.

“Every game is tough in the Premier League whether they are at the top or the bottom. Guardiola wants us to be 100 per cent professional in everything we do -- if we want to win things, every small detail is important.”

Kolarov also voiced his support for the under-fire manager.

“For all the players it is a great pleasure to play under him because he’s the best coach in the football at the moment,” Kolarov added.

“As players we can improve and we need to win more games but we are just at the beginning of a journey and I think we’ll get better and better.”

Meanwhile, Sunderland manager David Moyes is frustrated by the size of the squad but would not use it as an excuse to hide behind after their early FA Cup exit at Burnley on Tuesday.

The Scot’s plans to reinforce the squad in January have been foiled after chief executive Martin Bain revealed the manager would have limited funds to invest in players.

“I’ve not wanted to use it as an excuse and I’ve genuinely tried not to, and I’m not using it here,” Moyes told British media.

“The players that are out there I expect to play better, I don’t expect them to make a couple of mistakes, but if I had other players, maybe I could take some players out and put somebody else in.

“I’ve tried not to use it in any way as an excuse but it’s a fact, we’re short, we’re finding it a struggle, we’re putting near enough the same players out.”

Despite the lack of funds, Moyes said Sunderland would be active in the January transfer window.

“We’re looking around, everyone knows our limitations but we are needing to add... we’re always hopeful, always pushing to see if something can work. We need to see what happens,” he added.

Sunderland, who are second-bottom in the Premier League, travel to face eighth-placed West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.