Roberto Mancini believes that Manchester City still have a realistic chance of retaining their Barclays Premier League crown.
City are 12 points adrift of their rivals Manchester United but Mancini is hoping that the latter's FA Cup test against Chelsea on Sunday will take its toll.
"It's possible because when United play Chelsea it's possible that Chelsea will beat United,” said the Italian.
"It's not impossible in football. One or two weeks can change everything. For this reason we should be confident for the Premier League.
"If they are so strong that they will win all their games then okay, but if they lose one or two games or a point then we should be ready to take this opportunity."
Nevertheless, City's best chance of securing silverware this season is in the FA Cup. Mancini's men face Barnsley in the quarter-finals on Saturday evening.
"We started this season wanting to win the Premier League again," the former Sampdoria and Lazio star said. "We want to try until the last game.
"But if we take second position and win the FA Cup then I think it will be important for us because it's important to win one or two trophies every year."