adminon Wednesday when they were beaten 1-0 by Sunderland.
Roberto Mancini’s men are now looking nervously over their shoulders at third-placed Chelsea, who are four points behind with a game in hand.
But Hart (25) maintains that he and his team-mates will give their all to overhaul United at the Premier League summit.
The England keeper said: “We’ve had leads, United have had the lead — it’s to-ing and fro-ing at the moment.
“We’re a team of winners, it’s hard and it hurts but we’ve got to move on. It is hard to lead and it is hard to chase.
“We’ve clawed points back before — we proved it at the end of last season. We’ve just got to believe.”
Mancini, meanwhile, refused to blame goalkeeper Hart for wrecking Manchester City’s title challenge as the English champions slipped to a shock 1-0 defeat at Sunderland. England midfielder Adam Johnson claimed the only goal against his former club on Wednesday to end City’s eight-month unbeaten away league record.
Hart looked at fault as he was beaten at his near post by Johnson’s 53rd minute effort to leave City trailing seven points behind leaders Manchester United, who increased their advantage thanks to a late winner in a 4-3 victory over Newcastle.
However, Mancini’s ire was directed at referee Kevin Friend rather than the England keeper, who was nevertheless at fault for allowing Johnson’s cross to slip beneath his out-stretched left arm.
The Italian admitted his side had been “soft” in crucial areas, but also pointed the finger at the officials as City suffered a third consecutive defeat at the Stadium of Light, a venue where they are winless for almost four-and-a-half years.
Mancini insisted Friend and his assistants had enjoyed their Christmas Day celebrations rather too much, after claiming they missed Craig Gardner’s foul on Pablo Zabaleta in the build-up to the decisive goal from the winger, who ended a rollercoaster two-and-a-half-year spell at City with a £10 million return to his native North-East in pre-season. — AFP.
Online Reporter