Striker Sergio Aguero has admitted the Premier League title is slipping out of Manchester City's reach and urged his team mates to keep rivals Manchester United at bay in the race for Champions League qualification ahead of Sunday's derby.
City are fourth in the league, two places and four points above United, but trail leaders Leicester City by 12 points, although they have played a game less than Claudio Ranieri's men.
“We have to win, even more so because the title is slipping further and further away, and we have to make sure we take fourth place,” Aguero told British media.
Read more: If not impressively, writes Richard Jolly, Manchester City have at least importantly made club history
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“We want the title but we have to take into account that United are right behind us and it will be a tough game. We will have to play intensely.”
The fixture may not be the kind of title-deciding clash enjoyed by both sets of fans in earlier seasons, but losing will still hurt.
City can kill off United’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League with a home win, while defeat will almost certainly end their faint hopes of winning the title.
“At one point United were huge,” Aguero said. “City have invested a lot of money to bring in quality players, and that has levelled the playing field.
“I don’t know what is happening at United, I focus on City and Sunday. We are thinking about winning and nothing else.”
Captain Vincent Kompany will miss the game after suffering a repeat of a calf injury in Tuesday’s Champions League draw with Dynamo Kiev that saw City progress to the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time.
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Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
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Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
