Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson insists they can crack the top four.

"We have not given up returning to the top four, why should we," he said defiantly on the back of just one defeat in the last dozen games in all competitions.

"I don't accept that we are now playing for fifth place, why should I do that? It is a big challenge to dislodge one of the favourites by the end of the season but I am not thinking about that just this Sunday's game - in our position that is all you can do.

"We can only take one game at a time and see what happens we will be doing everything we can to get to stay where we are or even improving.

"The biggest difference between the big four and the rest of the league is the depth of their squads. We have been doing rather well and we aim to carry on doing rather well."