Roberto Mancini, whose side are 13/10 with bookmaker to retain their Premier League title, has defended his decision to try out a new defensive formation at Manchester City.
Mancini opted for a 3-5-2 system for Sunday’s clash with Liverpool and the Citizens needed a late equaliser to rescue a 2-2 draw, with the dropping of Joleon Lescott to the bench raising eyebrows in some quarters.
However, a bullish Mancini said: “We tried this system in pre-season because we were without some players. We have tried a different solution because a top team needs to know different systems.
“If we want to stay at the top for a long time, our mentality should be to go away and try to win.”
Next up for City is a home clash with QPR on Saturday in a repeat of last season’s final-day fixture, which Mancini’s men won 3-2 to clinch the title as they dramatically scored twice in stoppage time.