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EUROTRASHED ... Thursday night agony for Toure (right) and Micah Richards

KOLO TOURE admits Manchester City are feeling the heat of their title-chasing campaign.

City's season nosedived over five days as they crashed out of Europe and surrendered top spot in the table to Manchester United by losing at Swansea.

Defender Toure, who won the Premier League title with Arsenal, confessed: "We've not been very good in the first half in either of our last two games.

"I don't know why we are doing that. It must be the mentality. The season is very long, there is a lot of pressure. Maybe it is that.

"But there is no excuse, we knew this season would be difficult. The most difficult time is now because we are closer to the end of the season. These are the most important games."

United could open a four-point gap if they win at Wolves tomorrow while City must wait until Wednesday to face Chelsea at the Etihad. But Toure takes plenty of comfort from Thursday's storming Europa League comeback against Sporting Lisbon.

City trailed 3-0 on aggregate at half-time, but were a whisker away from going through when a desperate header by keeper Joe Hart shaved a post in injury-time.

Toure, 30, said: "If we play like we did in the first 45 minutes against Lisbon then we won't win the league.

"But if we play like we did in the last 30, nobody can stop us.

"We just need to believe. We need to do that from the first minute and give 100 per cent until the end of the game."

With City wobbling, the stage is set for Carlos Tevez to return against Chelsea. And Toure cannot wait to see the former skipper back.

He said: "We all know Carlos and it's going to be a big lift for us to have a player like him back.

"I would love it if he scored the goal to win us the title because for me, he's a great player. A problem can happen, but his quality is still there."