Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is backing his misfiring strikers to get his side's title charge back on track.
Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko have scored 43 times between them in all competitions this season but their lack of goals in recent weeks has compounded the team's loss of form.
City endured a difficult January, losing twice in the Barclays Premier League to see Manchester United draw level at the top and being knocked out of two cup competitions.
Top scorer Aguero has not found the net in five games, Balotelli is halfway through a four-game suspension and although Dzeko has scored two in his last four matches, he has still spurned a number of chances.
Mancini, thinking back to City's free-scoring start to the campaign, said: "People were saying how many goals City could score - 100, 200 - but this is impossible.
"There are some moments when you score three or four goals but others when you can't score any goals.
"It is impossible to score three or four goals every game for 38 games. Probably when Sergio, Mario, Dzeko start to score goals - that moment will probably change our situation."
Questions have been asked of City's ability to handle the pressure of the title race after losing 1-0 at Everton on Tuesday.
With champions United now trailing only on goal difference, City face a test of their nerve as they host Fulham at the Etihad Stadium tonight.
Mancini said: "I think until now we have had a fantastic season but we know that if we want to win the title, you can't win it now.
"You should fight until the last two or three games because United have big experience."
Mancini has no doubt about his ability to maintain the fight, having previously guided Inter Milan to three Serie A titles.
He said: "There doesn't exist a place like Inter Milan, where you can really be under pressure. After Inter Milan, you can manage every team.
"Inter Milan has a big history like United. When you are a manager there you have a pressure every day, every minute. After Inter Milan you can't have pressure."
City could hand a debut to new loan signing David Pizarro on Saturday evening.
The 32-year-old former Chile international joined the club until the end of the season from Roma just before Tuesday's transfer deadline.
City are also without Kolo and Yaya Toure, who are still at the African Nations Cup with Ivory Coast.
Fulham manager Martin Jol believes his side can frustrate the league leaders tonight.
The west Londoners face the unenviable task of trying to become the first side to take points away from the Etihad Stadium this season.
City have won all 11 home league matches and scored 34 goals in the process, although Fulham can be buoyed by the fact they were the first team to take points off the Citizens this season.
The 2-2 draw back in mid-September ended Roberto Mancini's perfect start and and Jol believes his side have it within themselves to ask questions of the league leaders.
"I am not sure what we can do differently to those 11 sides that have lost because there were quite a few good teams going over there," the Dutchman said.
"Of course away from home they are good, but they are even better at home. We have to find a solution to give them a few questions.
"We did that in the second half at Craven Cottage, but in the first half [Sergio] Aguero and [David] Silva were a handful.
"If you remember, the manager took them off and we scored our two goals and could have even scored a winner after that. We took the first points off them and of course they have had a few disappointing matches, like Everton.
"We hope to do the same away from home. Every game is different.
"I can understand why managers go there and try and narrow the space and play compact, but sometimes maybe the solution is to play four attackers.
"Real Madrid, the best in Spain and top of the league by seven points, tried everything against Barcelona and still lost.
"So sometimes there is no solution but we will have a game plan, make a decision and we'll have to wait and see.
"For me the most important thing is to get this game out of the way. We will see after the game what the result will be."
Fulham go into the game on the back of a frustrating 1-1 draw with West Brom on Wednesday evening.
The match was the west Londoners' first since Bobby Zamora's move to QPR and saw them run without a recognised striker in their starting line-up.
Fulham's attack will be boosted at City by the return of Belgium international Mousa Dembele after a hip problem, although Andy Johnson continues to miss out with a groin injury and new signing Pavel Pogrebnyak is waiting for clearance.
Jol has a decision to make on whether to start David Stockdale in goal after regular number one Mark Schwarzer recovered from a spine injury picked up in mid-December.
Steve Sidwell misses out after a hernia injury, while Dickson Etuhu looks set to be welcomed back to the fold.
