Roberto Mancini may not have given up hope of reclaiming the Premier League title this season, but to those outside the Manchester City bubble, Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool all but delivered the trophy to rivals United.

Sergio Aguero’s spectacular equaliser salvaged a point for the champions, yet after Sir Alex Ferguson’s men downed Fulham 1-0 just 24 hours earlier, it was again a case of two points lost.

The Red Devils now sit nine points clear at the top of the table, and even the most optimistic of fans would agree City have already surrendered in the title race…