Given (left) must decide whether to compete with Hart or leave the club

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini wants goalkeeper Shay Given to stay at the club despite seeing Joe Hart excel in the 0-0 draw at Tottenham.

Hart, who was preferred to Given, made a series of outstanding saves to earn his side a point and Mancini admitted he is his number one "for now".

Asked if he was worried that bids may come in for Given, Mancini said: "I hope not. I hope Shay can stay here.

"At this moment, Joe plays. Because we have four competitions, we need Shay."

The 23-year-old Hart, who returned to Eastlands this summer after spending last season on loan at Birmingham, could hardly have done more to stake his claim for the number one jersey on a permanent basis.

In the first half alone, he made three superb saves to deny a rampant Tottenham, stopping efforts from Jermain Defoe, Tom Huddlestone and Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

Hart's performance even drew praise from Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who felt his side could have handed City a hammering.

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"All credit to Hart," Redknapp told BBC Sport. "We were fantastic and created lots of chances but could not beat a great keeper who was in great form today.

"If we had got the goals we deserved in the first half then the game would have been all over. We just needed a break.

"If one goal goes in it's a different game, they have got to open up and come out a bit more and I think we would have caught them again and scored a few more. "

However, Mancini is eager that Given does not feel despondent about his first-team chances - and the Italian refused to say who would be his number one for the season.

"I'm sorry for one goalkeeper but today I chose Joe and I'm very happy to have Shay Given," stated the Italian.

"I spoke to him. He's a big name, he's a big goalkeeper, he respects my decision.

"We have time, another 20 days, until the end of the transfer window. I respect every decision but I hope that Shay stays here."

Hart needed to be at his best as elsewhere, City's expensively assembled side failed to spark.

Three of City's summer signings, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov, made their debut but inspiration was in short supply - particularly when they were outplayed in the first half.

Mancini commented: "I think that this point here, after the first half, is a good signal for us. I think that we must improve but we're missing four, five players. I think that we need three or four weeks together.

"Tottenham played with the same team they played last year. For us, it's different, and Tottenham is a good team.

"I think in the second half we improved our play."

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