• Premier League

Platt: League title is United's to lose

Manchester City have won six of their seven games since the Manchester derby © AP

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Ferguson eyeing another treble
  
• News: Platt: Silva was never out of form
  
• News: Tevez casts doubt on City future
  
• News: Man City close gap, Liverpool run riot, N'castle stunned
  

Manchester City assistant manager David Platt has put the pressure on rivals Manchester United, claiming the Premier League title is "theirs to lose".

Platt was encouraged by City's dominant performance in the 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday and is confident the champions can continue the strong run of form which has led them to six wins from seven matches since December's Manchester derby.

While Platt concedes it will be difficult for City to avoid dropping points, he is confident they have the ability bridge the five-point deficit to United.

"It's not over, we can make it up, it's not insurmountable by any stretch of the imagination," he said. "But, equally, it's theirs to lose. It's very, very difficult for us to go on and win the next 15 games on the bounce. But I think we're capable of doing it.

"We just have to make sure that gap doesn't increase and that we're there, because we've no control over what happens at United.

"I thought we were a bit stop-start at the beginning of the season but at the beginning of December we started to play and be more consistent.

"Even though we got beaten by United, I thought we performed well. The other blip we've had was at Sunderland, but even that one was a strange game.

"I think we would win that game nine times out of 10 with the chances we created. At the end of the day they have the advantage and all we can do is look after ourselves."

Former Arsenal midfielder Platt was part of the Gunners outfit that overturned United's 13-point lead to claim the 1997-98 title, but he refused to make comparisons between then and now.

"It's slightly different in the fact that back then, I think we lost three out of four games around Christmas time and we didn't go into games after that thinking, 'What we've got to do to win the league is win the next 13 games or something'," Platt said.

"It just happens and it's probably about six games before the end before you think you've got a sniff of a chance. Every season is different and people like to have headlines like, 'we're coming to get you', 'we're doing this', 'we're doing that'. But the fact of the matter is they're clear at this moment in time."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.