Pellegrini says Leicester are worthy title favourites

Leicester’s 2-0 win over Liverpool on Tuesday, courtesy of a brace from the 18-goal Jamie Vardy, the Premier League’s top scorer, proves that they are not going to give up on the title without a fight.

But Pellegrini, who received a rapturous response from City supporters during Tuesday’s victory at Sunderland, looks sure to dominate proceedings on Saturday when he appears before his home crowd for the first time since his departure was confirmed.

Pellegrini said: “We can win this game or lose this game and it will not finish the Premier League here”.

“Also, if we continue in the FA Cup, we will have to postpone two Premier League games (later in the season), and there is no option to play those games in midweek”.

“You can not think because you win you are the champions”.

“A lot of things went wrong”.

“Maybe at the beginning Leicester were a surprise but now it is not a surprise”.

“I don’t want to analyse why, but I think if we have to play against Chelsea four days before, we should play on the Saturday”. I’m just not sure that the guilt and shame they feel about letting their manager down is enough to win them any silverware.

Manchester City are unbeaten in their last nine matches against Leicester in all competitions (W5, D4).

Bookmakers and pundits alike refused to believe Leicester’s magnificent form would continue, and odds remained as high as 1000/1 in November. He asked the media, “Why don’t you write about the wonderful words I say to my players before games?” “What happened this season is not real”.

With a 3-1 win at Manchester City, Leicester showed why it really could be lifting the Premier League trophy for the first time in May.

“People keep waiting for them to start dropping points and they keep winning and winning”. In England there is more patience, not only with Van Gaal. I tell my players we make 39 points in the first half [of the season] so I want 40 points from the second half – one more. That makes it more hard.

“I’ve experienced it already at Barcelona”, he said.

Pellegrini has warned that his side can not afford to drop points at Tottenham on a key weekend when Leicester also travel to third-placed Arsenal.

“It is another team that is fighting for the title and we need three more points here at home”.