Fernandinho says Manchester City's desire to fight "like animals" is fuelling their Premier League title charge as they strive to hold off Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola's City returned to the top of the table with victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The 2-0 win, from their game in hand, took City a point above Liverpool with three matches remaining for both sides.
It was their 11th successive league win and followed a similarly important victory over Tottenham, which came after the disappointment of Champions League elimination at the hands of the same opponents.
"We showed the desire in competing for every ball like animals," said City midfielder Fernandinho after the United match. "I think this is the spirit of a team that wants to be champions.
"It was not just Wednesday -- in general every game, especially last Saturday, after the 'defeat' against Tottenham, in the way we played from the first minute (City won the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final 4-3 but went out on away goals) "If you look back to January, they (Liverpool) could have been 10 points clear after our game. We didn't want that.
"We reduced the gap to four points and now we are one point up. That is the way the Premier League is going to be decided and I hope we can do our job and win those three games, and be champions again."
"We have to recover as soon as possible and try to be fit and be ready. It is going to be a very important, very difficult game for us."
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