Chelsea can rival Man City for Premier League title: Roberto Mancini

Coach Roberto Mancini believes Chelsea are genuine title rivals to his Manchester City side.

The Premier League leaders head to Stamford Bridge on Monday 10 points clear of the Londoners.

Manchester City has won three of their last four matches against Chelsea

But Mancini is wary of the threat posed by a team who won the title in 2010.

The Sun quoted Mancini, as saying: "I think they can win it. They have 10 points less than us but we play two times against them and there are 24 games [left]."

He added: "The Premier League is very difficult and, in these two months, all the teams that play every three days will find it difficult. Last year Chelsea had a big lead [over Manchester United] but in the end United won the title by seven or eight points plus."

Mancini also believes Andre Villas-Boas is the right man to restore Chelsea to the pinnacle of English football, despite a difficult start to his reign.