Roberto Mancini feels Manchester City players now face a test of their nerve as they head into January after a frustrating draw at West Bromwich Albion.
City saw their two-point lead at the top of the Premier League wiped out yesterday as they were kept scoreless, for the first time this season, at The Hawthorns.
City could begin 2012 in second place as title rivals Manchester United are in action before City play at Sunderland on New Year's Day.
The trip to the Stadium of Light comes at the start of a hectic month for City, with the first of three games against Liverpool coming two days later and an FA Cup tie with United also to follow.
Mancini said: "I'm disappointed only because we play January 1 and January 3, and Liverpool play December 29 and the third against us.
"I'm not happy with this situation because two days in this moment is not correct. I don't know why this is. Well, maybe it's for TV.
"To play twice in 48 hours will make a difference in this moment, but we have good concentration and, in January, that is important.
"I think United will win the next game and it's more difficult for us against Sunderland away and then within 48 hours again.
"But I'm confident we can do a good job by the end. It's important to stay in with a chance of the title at the end. If you want to win the title, we have to try to play well against United.
"United have a strong team but we are strong enough to do this."
City lacked their usual bite but were also unlucky; Mario Balotelli hit the bar from distance and had a goal ruled out for offside. The Italian also had a free kick deflected wide, and David Silva side-footed a good chance over.
West Brom, however, thoroughly deserved a point and had good chances themselves, with Jerome Thomas hitting the post, Chris Brunt shooting wide and Paul Scharner testing Joe Hart.
Mancini said: "Sometimes you don't win. We know that it's impossible to stay top for all 38 games.
"Every team has a plan but if we don't score in the first half it's difficult. We will probably have another eight or nine games in next 20 days like this.
"West Bromwich played with all their players around the ball and you have to find a solution if you don't score quickly in the first half."
Roy Hodgson, the West Brom coach, was proud of the effort of his players, which backed up an impressive victory at Newcastle.
He said: "We have got to be pleased with that, we knew the magnitude of the task. We had to be at our best to try to keep them at bay. It was a very disciplined, hard-working performance, defensively.
"We don't stop many sides scoring; we are not a great clean-sheet team. So it was great to do it against a side of Man City's calibre. It's a bit concerning when you're the opposing manager watching the likes of [Edin] Dzeko and [Adam] Johnson coming on, when already you are dealing with [Sergio] Aguero and Balotelli.
"You think you are doing OK, then someone else comes on to cause you different problems."
He said his side gained confidence as the match progressed. "Maybe had the game gone on longer … we might have done even better.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
