Roberto Mancini:
It is important that we are top now but it is more important that we are top at the end of May 13.
“This result changes nothing; we still have to win the last two games. Of course I am happy. I am most happy for the supporters who were magnificent but it is still an option that United win the league.
“I think we deserved to win this game. We scored. We played well and had the chance to score the second goal. I don’t think that they had the chance to score.
“I think United set up for a draw because they knew if they got a draw then they would win the league. They defended well and it was not easy for us to find a solution.
“I can understand, because at that moment the tension is high,” reflected Mancini. “I was speaking with the fourth official. We exchanged words but that is it. It is over. It is not a problem for me.”
In terms of the game Ferguson took an opposing view to that expressed by Mancini.
“They’re in the driving seat now with only two games of football left. It’s not over, particularly as we’ve got the same number of points, but an eight-goal advantage is a significant advantage for them,” he noted.
“I think we look at last Saturday as the worst [setback], in the Everton game. We should never have thrown that away.”
Sir Alex Ferguson:
“It was a feisty, competitive game which we expected,” summarised Sir Alex. “There were not a lot of goal chances. I think David De Gea’s made the only save in the match. We’re disappointed we never tested their goalkeeper to be honest. Our crossing was poor.
“I thought City were more of a threat than us, simply because they had more action around our box. We had control in some parts of the game but not enough to cause any damage.
“If you lose a goal at a setpiece at this level of football then you only have yourself to blame for that. It was a bad time to concede a goal because there was nothing really happening at the end of the first half.”
The game had opened with United’s five-man midfield looking bright but providing Wayne Rooney with some useful ammunition proved difficult, just as City found it hard to break through the Reds’ eight or nine outfield players behind the ball.
“We started off quite well for maybe 10 to 15 minutes and looked as if we were on top in terms of possession and creating opportunities around their
