Manuel Pellegrini won’t give up on title bid

Manuel Pellegrini refused to concede Manchester City’s title defence is over after losing 2-1 at Liverpool, although the manager is concerned at his team’s performances and its failure to deal with pressure.


With Chelsea playing Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup final, City missed a chance to close the gap on Chelsea, the league leaders, to two points due to fine long-range goals from Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho.

While these were answered only by Edin Dzeko’s 26th-minute strike, asked if City’s championship challenge is over, Pellegrini said: “No. Not in the spirit. I think we never give up about the title. We must try to improve our play first and after that try to win our next game. You never know in football what will happen. It is more difficult when you have less games and you continue with the same points but I don’t think the team can think about that.

“In the first half we lost too many balls, especially in the first 15 minutes. After that we equalised and then hit the post through [Sergio] Agüero. But in the second half we didn’t arrive in their box so we tried to change our style of play. There were a lot of problems. There were two goals from Liverpool, very good goals in the top corner. It was a close game. Liverpool played very well and they deserved to win.”

Despite Vincent Kompany again making an error that led to Henderson’s opener – he failed to tackle Raheem Sterling – Pellegrini said: “I am concerned about the whole team.

“We were playing very well in the last two [league] games, Stoke and Newcastle. We start this week against Barcelona [losing 2-1] and then today: it was not our team, we cannot lose so many balls with the technical players we have. I’m concerned that we are losing the ball too much – pressure is a factor. There is much we must analyse to improve.”

The result takes Liverpool to 48 points, seven behind City, while Manchester United’s victory over Sunderland on Saturday leaves them only five behind City on 50. Pellegrini, though, wants to focus on City, with Leicester City next at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening.

He said: “We are worried about our team, not the teams behind us. It is important to try and continue playing the normal way. We will see in the reaction in the next game. I hope that the team will recover and we can win on Wednesday. Every point we drop is more difficult.”

Brendan Rodgers praised his team after they returned to Liverpool from the Europa League defeat against Beskitas early on Friday morning. “It was a brilliant result and an equally brilliant performance,” he said. “We thoroughly deserved the victory. The players worked with their intensity and great quality in our football. I was very pleased.

“Some of you guys [in the media] feel what it was like getting back at half four in the morning and back home at 6 o’clock. To prepare yourself for a game against the champions is no mean feat. You have to take your hat off. The performance was at a real top level. I have nothing but admiration.”

Of Coutinho, who impressed throughout, the manager said: “I think he is a star in the Premier League already but there are still improvements he can make. He is a joy to work with – £8.5 million [he cost], frightening to know what he could be worth now.”


By Jamie Jackson, Guardian