Manchester City-Wolverhampton Preview

LONDON (SE) - Manchester City will be looking to keep up the pressure at the top of the Premier League when they play Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Sunday afternoon.

City could find themselves as many as eight points behind league leaders Manchester United come kick-off, and Mancini is wary of the threat posed by a Wolves side who still have a glimmer of hope of Premier League survival.

"Wolves may be bottom of the table, but it will be a hard game, and we have to play as well as we did at Norwich," said Mancini. "I watched their games against Arsenal and United, and after they conceded goals they found it difficult but when they started they were playing at 100%. Because of that they are going to make it tough for us.

"We should go for our way only, I'm staying with my opinion about the title for the next few weeks, that it has gone. There were some mistakes, but when we lost Sergio (Aguero) for those two games that was a key moment. We drew those games, if we had had Sergio we would have a better chance."

Bottom of the Premier League and eight points from safety, Wolves need a win to hold any chance of escaping the drop, but manager Terry Connor believes that all of the pressure will be on the title-chasing visitors.

"Everyone will be thinking when City come here that they've got to win to keep the title race going," said Connor. "They could be eight points behind United by the time our game kicks off if United beat Everton earlier in the day. But no-one will be saying 'Wolves have got to win this one to stay in the league' even though that is what we will be striving to do.

"That's why possibly, the best team we could be facing is one of the top two. City could conceivably win four on the trot. They've done it before. But people don't think we can do that because we haven't done it all season.

"It's a different mindset from people looking at the team at the bottom. They think we can't get back-to-back wins, or we concede too many goals, but who knows in a one-off game?

"The performances in the last four or five games have been excellent and with a bit more luck, the results could have been better. We've lost by the odd goal in three of the four games after leading in three of them and got a good point at Sunderland.

"The players are not going to give up the ghost. We just have to keep playing in the same manner and with the same spirit for the next four games and, wherever we end up, we'll accept it."

Wolves are without Wayne Hennessey (knee), while Stephen Hunt (groin) and Jamie O'Hara (groin) are unlikely to feature. Sergio Aguero's recovery from injury means that City have a fully-fit squad for Sunday's game.

Wolves won this game 2-1 last season, but go into Sunday's meeting without a win in ten and with just one in 20. The home side have lost eight on the bounce at home and are facing a Man City team who have scored 34 goals on the road - the second best in the league behind United. City have won just three away from home since November, picking up 12 points from 11 games away from the Etihad.