Mancini, on his 46th birthday, claimed his side, who went ahead through Micah Richards in the 81st minute, deserved to win.
Tony Pulis disagreed and could not resist a dig at a manager and a club who have spent millions in an attempt to reach the Champions League.
He responded: "What game was he watching? But he is entitled to his opinion. That is what this country is all about.
"I will leave it to the experts to decide. When you are on top against one of the best teams in the league you have to take your chances.
"That was the one thing that let us down. We need to do better in that respect. On the whole we played well. You can have all the money in the world and all the top players but you need to be a team. We played like a team, as one. It takes a lot of beating, irrespective of who the opposition is and the players they have."
Source: PA
Source: PA