Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has defended the performances of his players after their surprising 1-0 defeat away to Burnley, and he believes his side can still win the title, according to the Sun.
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“It was a normal performance and I don’t think we played very badly. We created more chances, they had one shot on target and got a beautiful goal,” Pellegrini said. “We didn’t create enough to score but we were very unlucky.
The game at Turf Moor was one of very few clear cut chances for either side, but both Sergio Aguero and David Silva squandered decent openings to give the away side the lead. And they were punished on the hour mark, as George Boyd smashed home a half-volley from the edge of the area to give the Clarets a massive boast in their battle to beat the drop.
There was controversy in stoppage time however, as Pablo Zabaleta was denied a penalty after being brought down by former City trainee Ben Mee. Andre Marriner was not convinced, despite Mee appearing to make little contact with the ball.
The defeat means that City could fall eight points off top spot, if Chelsea beat Southampton today, and perhaps even more ominous for Pellegrini’s side, the Blues will still have a game in hand to potentially extend the gap even further. But the 61-year-old has refused to rule his team out of the title race.
“When you have a mathematical chance, you have a chance to win the title,” Pellegrini added. “The reality is that it’s more difficult to do so now.”