Manchester City can win UK Premier League, says Cruz

London, Sep.30 (ANI): Manchester City are equipped to go all the way and win the Premier League title this season, believes Roque Santa Cruz.

Manchester City's 3-1 triumph over West Ham on Monday was their fifth win in six Premier League games and pushed them to within three points of the top, with a game in hand.

Though coach Mark Hughes has been keen to play down City's title credentials, Santa Cruz, a 17.5 million pound summer signing from Blackburn, believes Hughes has assembled a squad capable of lifting the title this season.

"We're not only looking for that to happen in the future. We're looking to do it now. It's happening already. The boss looks absolutely confident in every aspect of the job and he also makes you feel that you can always perform at your best, by doing what he tells you in training. And, I think players believe that what the manager tells them will actually help them to perform at their best," The Mirror quoted Santa Cruz, as saying.

"We all came here to help the team get to the top and everybody has been doing a fantastic job. It's been frustrating for me, sitting on the sidelines, but it makes things easier when the team is playing great and you're seeing things are going in the right direction," he added.

Santa Cruz's long-awaited debut marked the end of a frustrating wait for the 28-year-old, who was sidelined for four months with a knee injury after joining City.

He knows he faces a battle to establish himself as a first-team regular, with Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy and Robinho all competing for places up front.

But Santa Cruz claimed each will play their part this season and, having worked with Hughes at Blackburn, said the City boss will nsure he gets the best out of each of them. (ANI)