MANCHESTER -- Manuel Pellegrini conceded Manchester City played poorly during their 2-1 FA Cup third-round victory over Sheffield Wednesday and said he was relieved they managed to progress.
City trailed to the Championship side for almost an hour at the Etihad Stadium before James Milner scored a brace, including an injury-time winner, to send them into the fourth round.
Pellegrini praised Milner, who struck on his 29th birthday, and said his side only performed to anything like their normal standards after he made a double substitution, bringing on Samir Nasri and David Silva.
He told a news conference: "I am relieved because we didn't play well. We played very bad except in the last 20 minutes when we [went into] another gear to try and create the space against a team that defended very well.
"We didn't play in the way we normally do. We didn't press well so we didn't recover the ball. After that we didn't have good possession, good movements. We didn't create good chances to score. Sheffield Wednesday had one chance and they score. After that it is doubly difficult.
"When we returned to our normal offensive formation with [Jesus] Navas, Silva, Nasri and Milner up top we scored two goals."
Milner scored his first goals in a domestic competition since 2013, and Pellegrini added: "He always plays with 100 percent commitment and intensity. I am very happy for him also as it his birthday."
The midfielder is out of contract in the summer but Pellegrini said there is no update on talks about an extended deal, although he did reiterate his determination to keep the England international.
"I hope we will find an arrangement," he said.
Wednesday manager Stuart Gray said on his side's defeat: "It was just tired minds that caught us out. The winning goal was a mistake by us but I am so proud of my players, they have pushed the champions to the last minute.
"The last time we came here [in September] we got beat 7-0. It was nice to go in at 1-0 [at half-time]. I think we thoroughly deserved it."