Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has not given up on retaining the Premier League title and wants to put pressure on leaders Chelsea with victory in the Manchester derby on Sunday.
City have faded badly in recent months, trailing the Blues by nine points in the title race having been neck and neck with them on New Year’s Day.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side’s defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday was their fourth successive away loss and they have just seven games to muster a remarkable turnaround, but Aguero insists there is still hope.
“Of course we can still win it. We only focus on ourselves, try to win every game we play and keep pressure on Chelsea,” the Argentine told Sky Sports News.
“In football, anything can happen – as soon as you think something is certain, then everything changes, we have seen it so many times before and we’ll see it again.”
City find themselves in unfamiliar territory heading into the 165th Manchester derby, languishing in fourth and below their arch rivals after a series of insipid performances.
United, in contrast, are flying after five consecutive victories, and Aguero is wary of the threat posed by Louis Van Gaal’s players, earmarking struggling Radamel Falcao for particular praise.
“They are a team with a lot of great individual players, who can form an incredible unit when they work well together. But this season that has not always been the case,” said the 26-year-old.
“They have a number of very talented strikers. The one who in his career has been the most predatory is Falcao. He isn't having an easy time this season, but I really admire his commitment and his class and qualities are permanent.”
"He is probably one of the most naturally-gifted strikers in football at the moment."
Aguero will be hoping to end an unwanted personal record of over 500 minutes without registering for the current Premier League champions, and City will be buoyed by the fact they have won their last four encounters with United.
