Mancini: Blame me for loss to Everton

Roberto Mancini saw Manchester City's title bid shackled, and afterwards offered the stunning admission: It was all my fault.

Everton 1-0 Manchester City: Gibson unlocks leaders  

On a night marred by a bizarre handcuff protest, the Italian conceded he shackled his side by training ground mistakes that ultimately cost victory.

"I made mistakes, and it is an admission from me that I got it wrong - sometimes it is possible to make mistakes," he said afterwards.

But the Italian insisted that despite the devastating defeat at Everton which blows the title race wide open, the errors he made will not hand Manchester United the Premier League crown.

A pulsating game was eventually decided by former United midfielder Darron Gibson's fierce strike, but not before a demented fan had chained himself to the City goal, to make a bizarre protest against budget airline Ryanair.

PHOTOS: Fan cuffs himself to goalpost at Everton v City  

Gibson spent seven years at Old Trafford trying to give United fans something to cheer, and he achieved that last night with a goal that had the supporters of his former club chanting his name.

It means the two Manchester titans are level at the table's summit, but even though defeat at Goodison was a devastating blow to the Eastlands club, Mancini insisted it wouldn't be terminal, despite taking full responsibility.

Mancini said: "We didn't prepare properly for this game. Maybe I thought it would be easier against Everton than it was. I should have known it is never easy coming here.

"We played well against Tottenham and won three games in the Premier League. Everton were without three or four important players, and maybe we didn't prepare properly, which was my mistake.

"But defeat is not important, because we are still top, and there are 15 games remaining, so we have time (to win the title). All the players played well, I have no complaints with them, and I think I have to learn from my mistake. I will not sleep tonight!"

Mancini explained afterwards that there were no late bids for his striker Carlos Tevez, and didn't rule out the Argentine rejoining his squad, although he explained it was still too early to say.

"I don't know his (Tevez) condition, so I don't know at this moment if he can rejoin the squad, and I don't know if he will have to apologise. At this moment I am just thinking about my mistake," he said.

Mancini did manage one piece of business on deadline day, when he brought in Chile midfielder David Pizarro on loan from Roma.

He knows the 32-year-old well, after managing him to the Italian title at Inter.

Everton boss David Moyes also had a fruitful evening.

As well as securing a 150th Premier League victory as a manager - and one he says was among his most satisfying - he also potentially brought in two new players.

Moyes completed a £5million deal to bring Croatian international striker Nikica Jelavic in from Rangers and parade him on the pitch at halftime.

Everton also lodged papers concerned a deal to bring Steven Pienaar back to Goodison - after also allowing Louis Saha to go to Spurs in return - and hope to finalise the details for the South African this morning.

Speaking afterwards, Moyes insisted his side are now firmly back on track.

"That was something wasn't it? That's as good as it's been here for a long, long time," he said.

Gibson, who scored his first goal for Everton following his £2million switch from Old Trafford was delighted with the winner:

"I think that will help me settle in, any goal is good, but one against a team at the top of the table is even better."

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