• FA Cup

Mancini: Aguero can rescue PL season

ESPN staff
February 18, 2013
Roberto Mancini's hopes remain alive © PA Photos
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Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has backed Sergio Aguero to boost his side's Premier League title chase after impressing in Sunday's 4-0 FA Cup rout over Leeds United.

Aguero, 24, scored two goals and provided the assist for Carlos Tevez's strike as City booked a quarter-final clash with Barnsley and Mancini believes the Argentinian's sizzling form could help bridge Manchester United's 12-point lead atop the Premier League.

"I hope Sergio will be like this from now to the end of the season," he said. "If he is and our other strikers continue to score until the end, then I think the championship is not finished.

"In Italy we say a game like this is a 'brodino' - a starter. I hope it can happen that we start to win in the Premier League again.

"This is possible, but I think we should always be confident in ourselves, even when we're 12 points behind at this moment. We lost seven points in three games and this can happen for any team.

"But now United play a lot of games. At this moment they deserve to stay there because they have been better than us and scored more goals than us.

"We are unlucky this year [with injuries]. Gareth Barry was nothing, but I think he will be ready for Chelsea. We hope we can recover Vinny [Vincent Kompany] for the next game. Javier [Garcia], we will see tomorrow or uesday, but I don't think it's big problem."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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