Pellegrini unfazed by points lost at Everton
THE last t i me Manchester City’s title aspirations hit a setback at Goodison Park, their manager went into meltdown as the pressure began to tell.
It was on March 16, 2013 and Everton had trampled all over City with a display of physical intensity, winning 2-0. Roberto Mancini — not one to disguise his feelings — did not speak to the press afterwards, preferring instead to pace the corridor outside City’s changing room. The tension had got to him.
From that moment on, their grip on the Barclays Premier League t r ophy had been loosened and, with dissent in the camp obvious, you never expected Mancini to lift his star- studded squad from the disappointment.
Fast forward to Saturday and again City had an afternoon to forget at a stadium that almost always causes them problems. Having wasted a series of chances to punish Everton, they squandered two points when Steven Naismith cancelled out Fernandinho’s header. They will be anxious to complete the deal to sign striker Wilfried Bony after agreeing the £30million fee with Swansea.
Manuel Pellegrini may have been upset that a draw had handed the initiative back to Chelsea but there was no change in his public demeanour.
Pellegrini, who held a debrief with Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain in the same corridor that Mancini paced so furiously two years ago, may not lend himself to colourful headlines or explosions of emotion but his calm hand on the tiller may yet be crucial in City’s title defence.
‘I think this team believes in what they do,’ was Pellegrini’s measured view. ‘That is why I was so happy in the first 45 minutes. We played with confidence and belief. They did it very well and were unlucky not to score.
‘We are going to continue to fight for the title until the last game. There are two points in it at this moment. That is not a deficit that is important or a real advantage, so we will see i f we can finish the season strongly.’
Chelsea, understandably, remain favourites but this month could prove crucial. Next up for City is a home date against Arsenal before that collision at Stamford Bridge on January 31.
‘We have led before and we want to (again),’ said goalkeeper Joe Hart. ‘But there is plenty of time and we are in a really good position. We have still to play Chelsea — that is really key — but Arsenal next week at home could be a big three points for us.
‘ We are happy with t he performance and if we create chances with the boys back ( Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko), we are going to get goals.’
Had Aguero been on from the start, rather than 23 minutes at the end, the complexion of this game would have been different. Stevan Jovetic, given superb service by David Silva, wasted four clear opportunities that should have been taken.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez acknowledged that fine margins are all-important in the title race. ‘ They are teams with similar philosophies, wellstructured and with an amazing threat,’ he said. ‘ Both squads are as good as each other. It could come down to a small detail, maybe at Stamford Bridge.’
Fighting back from a goal down suggests Everton are finding their stride after a draining month. ‘You should not get too affected by a defeat or carried away by a victory,’ said Martinez. ‘But that platform is what you need in any good team, especially when a goal down against a team where it would be easy to be exposed.’