Mancini backs Man City for fourth

Mancini’s side finished fifth in the Premier League last season

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is confident his side will do enough to finish fourth and seal a place in the Champions League for the first time.

City hold a six-point advantage over Tottenham, whom they face on Tuesday, with three games left to play.

And Mancini, whose side are also four points clear of Liverpool having played one game less, said: “I don’t think we have a problem for fourth spot.

“We still have three games left and we only need three points.”

Victory over Spurs on Tuesday would guarantee City a place in the qualifying stages of next season’s Champions League, while Stoke – their opponents in Saturday’s FA Cup final – would be guaranteed a Europa League place regardless of the result at Wembley.

Meanwhile, the competition for the final Europa spot available to the team that finishes fifth in the table, would be between Liverpool and Tottenham, with the clubs meeting at Anfield on Sunday.

Tottenham beat City 1-0 at Eastlands in the penultimate game of last season to pip Mancini’s side to fourth place, and went on to make it to the last eight of the tournament after memorable victories over Italian giants AC Milan and Inter Milan.

But the London club are in the midst of their worst run of the season this time around, with just one win in their last nine Premier League matches.

And after suffering injuries to key players like Gareth Bale and Tom Huddlestone, coupled with Rafael van der Vaart’s dip in form, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp conceded his side’s hopes of reaching Europe’s premier club competition are all but over.

“It will take a miracle to finish fourth,” said Redknapp.

“Roberto Mancini has got a fantastic squad. They’re in a great position. They are six points ahead of us and they have a better goal difference by miles.”

City have won 14 out of their last 15 matches at Eastlands in all competitions but a 2-1 defeat at Everton on Saturday cost Mancini the chance to rest players ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Stoke.

“It was important we beat Everton because we have to prepare well for the final,” said Mancini.

“Now I shall play with all the team against Tottenham because we want to win. That is not perfect for the final.”

City have lavished money on top players since Sheikh Mansour took over the club in September 2008 and Redknapp believes the league title will be in the Manchester club’s grasp in the near future.

“The man from Abu Dhabi has got so much money, I mean, it isn’t like money to him, is it?” said Redknapp.

“That’s the key. I know people in the right positions at City who have said ‘Well, the one thing we couldn’t offer was Champions League football.’

“But they tell me they’ve got one or two players signed already who’ll blow your brains out. I mean, that’s where they’re going.

“They aren’t going to stop until they win the championship and even then the Champions League

“I think they will the Premier League in the next few years.

“I think they can be a real force next year. They’ve got a strong squad which is only going to get better now, because they’ve got unlimited funds to buy anybody they want, and they can pay the wages.

“They’ve got players there now earning £200,000 a week. I mean, it’s crazy – it’s another world really.”