Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 8y

Man City must cope with pressure to win title - Manuel Pellegrini

MANCHESTER -- Manuel Pellegrini believes the team that copes best with the pressure will win the Premier League title. The Chilean's Manchester City side are a point behind leaders Arsenal but have struggled for consistency this season -- particularly away from home.

The Blues travel to West Ham on Saturday with just one win in their last seven away games in the league -- losing three and drawing 0-0 in the other matches.

And they have not won back-to-back league games since the home victories over Newcastle United and Bournemouth in October.

But City are used to pressure going into the final weeks of the campaign, having won their two Premier League titles in 2012 and 2014 on the final day of the season.

"I think the pressure is part of [it] -- you cannot be in a big team if you don't feel the pressure every week that you must to win the title," Pellegrini told a news conference.

"I think the chances to win are exactly the same for the team that is one point in front or one point below or five points behind the leaders. It's important to try to demonstrate every game why you are involved in the title [race]."

West Ham are among a clutch of sides competing for a Champions League spot, sitting just four points and two places behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. And Pellegrini knows how dangerous the Hammers can be after they ended his side's perfect start to the season.

City had five successive victories without conceding a goal when the run came to a juddering halt with a 2-1 defeat at the Etihad.

The Chilean feels the gap between the top sides and the rest of the league has closed significantly and now every league is a big test.

"I think the difference is some for other teams, the big teams are not so big," he said. "Every time that gap is reducing.

"I think this is a special season -- it is very difficult to win the games, that's why all teams not just us has less points than average in another season.

"It is important to understand we must play what we are seeing now. Every game is a final, every game will be the same difficulty if you play against a team at the bottom of the table or the top of the table."

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