Pellegrini demands fading City finish on a high

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Manuel Pellegrini has challenged Manchester City to end the season with eight successive victories as the champions look to revive their fading bid to retain the Premier League title at Crystal Palace on Monday.
City travel to Selhurst Park nine points behind leaders Chelsea after Pellegrini's side drop to fourth place following resounding wins for Arsenal and Manchester United over the weekend.
Fortunately for Pellegrini, who has come in for mounting criticism in recent weeks, fifth placed Liverpool were beaten at Arsenal to give City a seven-point cushion in the battle to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish.
While Pellegrini is not looking over his shoulder at the chasing pack, the Chilean concedes City need a lengthy winning run, ideally to close the gap on Chelsea but also to seal a top four spot.
"I think in this league you can never be sure you are going to have a Champions League place," he said.
"You have six or seven teams that from the beginning all of them play for that position.
"At the moment, for the whole year, we are in the position of the Champions League. I hope that now we will continue.
"I hope we can do it. We have to play eight finals from now until the end. I hope in these eight games we continue playing that way.
"Of course I always expect to win all the games from the beginning of the season to the end. That is the mentality we must have as a big team.
"So many times you ask me after a defeat if we are obligated to win. We are always obligated to win. This team demand you to win every game.
"Now it is important to take it game by game and we must focus on our mind on Crystal Palace."
TROUBLED SEASON
After a run of just two victories in their last six games, a sequence that also included two defeats and European exit against Barcelona, Pellegrini acknowledges there is no further margin for error in a disappointing campaign.
At least City have a completely clean bill of health following the international break, although the troubled season endured by club skipper Vincent Kompany continued in Israel where he was red carded during Belgium's 1-0 victory.
However, Pellegrini insisted that Kompany offers him little about which to be concerned ahead of the resumption of league action.
"I don't worry about Vincent because I know him," said Pellegrini. "He knows perfectly in the way he must play.
"I don't know about the sending off because I didn't see it but I think he improved a lot with our team in the last game so I don't worry about him. There are not any problems."
Palace's revival since Alan Pardew took charge in January means they are now targeting a top half finish rather than looking over their shoulders towards the relegation zone.
The dynamic displays of wingers Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie have been instrumental in transforming the fortunes of Pardew's side.
Zaha is back at his former club after a brief, unsuccessful stay at Manchester United and the player admits he is relieved to have moved on from Old Trafford.
Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: "When I was there United were going through a transition. Sir Alex Ferguson was leaving, which I didn't know before I signed, so I didn't really get the chance that I wanted there because obviously the new manager came in with a lot of pressure as well.
"I have trust in Alan Pardew and he has trust in me. When he says he will do something he will do it.
"This gaffer understands that I am not going to get everything right, that it's my job to create and try and take on people."

© Reuters

Wenger plays down Arsenal's title chances

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that the Premier League title is still beyond his players despite their emergence as the English top flight's form side ahead of the season run-in.
Saturday's 4-1 demolition of Liverpool took Arsenal another step closer to securing the season's minimum objective of qualification for the Champions League.
Leaders Chelsea remain seven points above them with a game in hand, but Arsenal, who have won 10 of their last 11 matches, will have a chance to trim that gap when they host Jose Mourinho's side later this month.
But for all the optimism engendered by his side's excellent form, Wenger believes they have too much work to do due to a sluggish start to the season.
"Mathematically we can do it," said the Frenchman. "But we need to be perfect and for Chelsea not to be perfect. Let's focus on what we can master, which is our performance.
"We missed important players at the start of the season and dropped points. We have quality to fight at the top. But when you have players coming back from the World Cup and players who are not available, it is not easy.
"At one stage we played six games and earned one win, which leaves you with a mountain to climb."
Arsenal tightened their grip on the top four while all but extinguishing Liverpool's hopes with a crushing win at the Emirates Stadium.
Three goals in eight first-half minutes wrapped up the victory as Hector Bellerin, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez all struck.
Liverpool responded via a Jordan Henderson penalty, but the damage was already done.
A bad day for a depleted Liverpool got even worse when Emre Can received two yellow cards, before Oliver Giroud struck again for Arsenal in stoppage time.
Giroud, who has scored seven times in his last six league games, was not quite as downbeat about his side's title credentials.
FOCUS ON FA CUP
"We want to finish strongly, but we have to take it game by game and focus on ourselves before looking at Chelsea and Man City's results," he said.
"We want to win every single game and then we'll see what happens."
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said that there was "too much ground to make up" for his side to secure a Champions League place, after back-to-back defeats against Manchester United and Arsenal.
He also faces a fight to retain the services of England forward Raheem Sterling, who has turned down a new £100 000-a-week ($148 320, 137 710 euros) contract and been linked with rival clubs including Arsenal.
But Rodgers played down concerns over Sterling's future, saying: "Raheem is a kid focused on his football. He works hard every single day and he just wants to play his football.
"The kid for me gives me everything every time he trains and plays. The only thing I will say is that for his football development and financially, Liverpool is the best place for him.
"He has an opportunity to play, which is key for a young player. He won't be going anywhere in the summer and we will sit down and try and find a solution.
"I've had a good chat with him and given my opinion. He just wants to play his football. I think he enjoys being here and knows he is privileged to play in front of the Liverpool supporters.
"As long as the player can see the ambition. The summer was very difficult in losing Luis Suarez, losing Daniel Sturridge to injury and with the integration of new players."
Liverpool's last remaining hope of silverware this season lies in the FA Cup, ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup quarterfinal replay away to Championship side Blackburn Rovers.