Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini threw in the towel for his club's Premier League title challenge on Thursday (March 28th), saying the motivation for the rest of the season was to keep the teams below them at a safe distance and winning the FA.
Defeat to Everton in their last Premier League outing left City trailing leaders Manchester United by 15 points with nine games remaining.
United have shown no signs of wilting under the pressure of wresting the English title back from their near neighbours and have won their last six league matches.
"We are so disappointed because we can't win this title, but until now United did better than us and deserved to stay on the top, but this does not change," Mancini told reporters adding the FA was the last hope of silverware for the 2012/2013 English champions.
"We know that in football it is impossible to win the title every year, probably the second year is more difficult, but this doesn't change, we have the FA Cup and we have to get to second position if it is possible,"
Second place Manchester City are facing 13th place Newcastle on Saturday (March 30th) in the English Premier League.
Presented by Adam Justice