Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini knows his players have the tools to finish the job and grab their second Premier League crown by beating West Ham at the Etihad on Sunday.
The only realistic way City can miss out on being crowned champions is if they lose and second-placed Liverpool, who are two points behind the Citizens in the table, beat Newcastle at Anfield.
As always Pellegrini was measured in his assessment of the situation – but was clear that he did not want his side to miss out on this huge opportunity to win their second title within three years.
“I expect to win the match and I’m not thinking about a draw or anything else,” he said.
“We know the importance of this match but we must play a normal game and plan to win as we always do.
“It is important to be calm ahead of this game. We have experienced players and some of them played in the game when we last won the Premier League, but the situation is different, many of the team are different and we are playing different opposition.”
The Chilean has his full squad to choose from for the match, including Sergio Aguero, but his opposite number, Sam Allardyce, has urged his side to try to spoil the Blues’ party.
“We’ve got to go out there and give a fantastic performance to stop them trying to grasp the title,” he told whufc.co.uk.
“It will be hugely difficult because they’re the best team at home in the league, they’ve only lost once against Chelsea.
“Every player on top of his form, every player can go out and give everything they’ve got on the basis that they know we’re in the Premier League next year, but let’s try and spoil Manchester City’s party.”
Despite admitting that he would rather see Liverpool raise the trophy, Allardyce believes that Pellegrini deserves a lot of credit for what he has done.
“It’s his first season and I think that anybody arriving for their first season at a football club and to achieve what he’s achieved if he does win the Premier League and the Capital One Cup, means that they’ve done the double and there’s not a lot more you can ask,” he added.
“There’s money spent at every club, but everyone knows that this is the hardest league in the world to win and it’s been shown this year more than ever before.”
Image courtesy of Carl Recine, with thanks
