Roberto Mancini has played down the significance of the Manchester derby on Monday evening, despite only three points separating the local rivals.

Manchester City could go to the top of the table with a win over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium next week due to the side's superior goal difference, but the Italian boss continues to believe that the title race is over.

"The derby is always the game of the year and this one is no different," Mancini said. "But we don't only have this one - there was another derby when we won 6-1 at Old Trafford.

"That was fantastic; a game that can happen only once every hundred years. For the supporters, a derby is always a different game to the others. But we must not forget that there are two more games after Monday. Two very tough games.

"The biggest match was the FA Cup final last season. This is a derby but just one more game. The only important thing is to win. We have three points less than United. We need only to play football. We are calm because we know we don't have any chance to win this title."

City will face Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers following the highly-anticipated derby, while United go head to head with Swansea City and Sunderland in their final two matches of the season.