MANCHESTER (AFP) Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini believes the race for fourth place in the Premier League is now between his team and Tottenham. City moved four points clear of fifth placed Spurs, who have a game in hand but still have to travel to Eastlands, with a thumping 5-1 win over Birmingham on Sunday. Mancinis fourth placed side have now scored 14 goals in three matches ahead of a vital run of matches. They have five games remaining and host Manchester United next Saturday before facing Arsenal, Aston Villa, Tottenham and West Ham as they look to qualify for the Champions League for the first time. Mancini knows his team are in fine form going into the most important stage of the season and he doesnt expect Liverpool to be able to keep pace after the Reds goalless draw with Fulham on Sunday left them six points behind City. Its probably between us and Tottenham but I dont know because Liverpool have a very good squad. I must think only on our games and not other teams, Mancini said. Its important that now we continue to improve in the next five games because we have five difficult matches and I think every time we can improve. City scored six goals against Burnley before giving a five-goal display against Birmingham, but Mancini would be happy for any win over bitter rivals United, who beat City 4-3 at Old Trafford earlier this season and eliminated them from the League Cup semi-finals. Now it is better for us that we recover. We expended a lot of energy against Birmingham and then we think about the game against United, Mancini said. We have respect for them because they are an important team but we want to win for our position. Its impossible we continue to score three or four goals in the next games. Well try but if we win 1-0 Ill be very happy. In the next five games that would be good for us. Mancini is hopeful that French midfielder Patrick Vieira will make the United game after aggravating a knee problem in the warm-up before the Birmingham match. The Italian added: Patrick had a problem with his knee and he tried to play but it was a risk. The next game Vieira will possibly be ready. Carlos Tevez put City ahead from the penalty spot and then turned Nedum Onuohas header in from close range. The goal was initially credited to Onuoha but the defender was happy to give it to Tevez. Cameron Jerome pulled one back for Birmingham only for Emmanuel Adebayor to make it three. Onuoha then finally scored himself before Adebayor completed a comprehensive win. Onuoha had not scored in more than a year before hitting the net in the second half but was happy for Tevez to take his tally to 28 for the season. He said: Carlos is on a goal bonus and hes desperate to be top scorer, so thats fine. Alex McLeishs Birmingham side are on a six-match winless run but he insists he will not allow their season to peter out. I dont think the tools were down. The front four of City were a different quality but we added to our own down fall with sloppiness, McLeish said. Weve got the capacity to bounce back and Im going to challenge the players to win next week in the Hull game.