ERIKSSON TIPS MAN CITY FOR LEAGUE TITLE

JUST like his expensively-assembled Lazio side did few years back, Sven-Goran Eriksson feels that Manchester City can win the Premiership.

According to Sportinglife, Eriksson fell foul of his old club on Tuesday night as the Foxes lost 2-4 to City at Eastlands in their third-round FA Cup replay. Now the Swede hopes that the Blues go on to win the trophy to give his own club some reflected glory.

But whether it achieves it or not, Eriksson is certain that City is heading right to the very top. The England former boss said: “I am sure they are one of the teams who can win the league. I hope they can win the FA Cup. It would be good for us to have gone out against the winners.

“What is happening at City does remind me of my time at Lazio. At that time we bought Christian Vieri for the biggest transfer fee paid. We sold him 10 months later for even more money.

“Lazio were spending a lot of money. We won the league and overall won seven titles in three years. It was very good because in Italy, if you win the league and you are not Milan, Inter or Juventus, it is a very big thing.”

City's boss, Roberto Mancini, was able to name the most expensive starting XI in FA Cup history, though it took an impressive late strike from Aleksandar Kolarov to finally see off the Championship outfit and book a fourth-round trip to Notts County.

Paul Gallagher had already equalised an early Carlos Tevez effort when Leicester was condemned to battle back from two goals down as Patrick Vieira and Adam Johnson scored within 77 seconds of each other. The visitors took heart from a Tevez penalty miss and, when Lloyd Dyer netted eight minutes from time, the Foxes harboured realistic hopes of taking the tie to extra-time.

It was not to be, though Eriksson is not displeased with his present situation, even if he rejected claims that he had made a bid for Thierry Henry. Eriksson said: “We are not Manchester City but it is a clear project to take the club up to the Premier League.

“But it is not true I made an inquiry about Henry. Sometimes you get these rumours and there is a little bit of truth. This time, no.”