City boss Manuel Pellegrini feels confident his players will not suffer a hangover from their last result when they host West Brom this evening. Pellegrini claimed after City were held to a surprise 2-2 home draw by Sunderland on Wednesday that his men had still had the disappointment of their 3-2 defeat ats Liverpool from the previous Sunday on their minds. By a twist of fate the Blues faced West Brom two seasons ago in a game which appeared to be a last hurrah, with United eight points clear and six games left to play. They thrashed West Brom 4-0 that night then heard that United at lost to Wigan 1-0 and the title race was back on. With Chelsea losingat home to Sunderland on the weekend City know now that if they win their remaining five matches only Liverpool can stop them. So we will all be hoping that Chelsea can pull off a win at Anfield. If that happens next weekend City can start their match away to Crystal Palace knowing that a win would put City firmly back in the title race. With that in mind Pellegrini has promised that City will be up for it tonight.
He told The Manchester Evening News "I think it was more difficult between Liverpool and Sunderland. We have had one more day to recover the team.
"I think that we are all conscious that we cannot play in the same way that we played against Sunderland. I think it will not be so difficult as the last game.”
On the title run in he said "I think that the best thing to help us is to win our games.
"I don’t mind what the other teams think. We have to play five games more, we must win them. Liverpool and Chelsea have to play three games - we just need a defeat for Liverpool.”
City can also set a new English goalscoring record if they score twice in tonight’s game.
The Blues have racked up 142 goals in all competitions, one shy of the record set by United’s Busby Babes in the 1956-57 season.