Absent Kompany not reason for City slip ups: Pellegrini

City manager Manuel Pellegrini made three changes early in the second half but they didn’t change the course of the game.

Pellegrini also rejected claims that City are not good enough when they do not have captain Vincent Kompany – now out injured – in the team. They have kept four clean sheets in these 33 games.

“We’ve looked at teams that have caused Manchester City trouble – Liverpool being one of them, Southampton to a certain extent, Tottenham. There are a lot of things in the future we are not thinking about”.

Even more so, because City is struggling for form ahead of its home game against Borussia Moenchengladbach after losing three of its last five games in all competitions. “Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal would like to be in our position”, the manager told UEFA’s official site.

“I think we have a lot of injuries and that is why we had this defeat”. Aguero, whose heel injury sustained against Southampton more than a week ago was not initially thought serious, will not play against Monchengladbach tonight and is unlikely to be able to face Swansea on Saturday.

City are already assured of a place in the knockout stages, but have plenty to play for with top spot in Group D still in reach if they beat Gladbach and leaders Juventus lose to Sevilla.

When asked if his side went into the game with the intent to crowd out Silva, Hughes said: “We just wanted that energy”.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini said: “I think we must try to continue winning the most amount of games by playing well”.

“So far this season we are the only team that is involved in all of the competitions that have qualified for (the Capital One Cup) semi-final, that we are top of the table in the Premier League and we qualify in the Champions League”.

“It was an exceptional win”, he declared: “You have to have the right personnel to play like we did and thankfully we did with the right energy in midfield, where the likes of Geoff Cameron and Afellay got around the pitch, and Glenn Whelan will organise behind that”.

“We didn’t play well today”. We can win against every team in the Premier League. “The two goals were very nice”, said the Switzerland winger.

Midfielder Yaya Toure will return for the game after two games out with a muscle injury, while defender Eliaquim Mangala is back after missing the weekend loss at the Britannia Stadium through suspension.

Bacary Sagna will start his ninth successive game and the France full-back insists the players are not exhausted as they compete on four fronts.

Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart admits the team’s performances have dropped below the minimum required recently but he denies they are suffering from a lack of leadership.