Pellegrini hails Nasri influence in Man City win

Mourinho will ramp up the urgency again this weekend as Chelsea looks to regain its championship form and Hazard is their strongest fantasy option regardless of position.

Along with Bony and Clichy, midfielders Pablo Zabaleta and Fernando are also ruled out against Watford, according to BBC Sport.

Manchester City have completed the signing of midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a six-year deal from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. Klaus Allofs, director of sport at the German club, has revealed City have made an “astonishing” offer for the 24-year-old former Chelsea playmaker and discussions are thought to be ongoing.

City’s head of football administration Brian Marwood admitted the club seemed to experience bad luck in Champions League draws.

Saturday’s game came to life after Bakary Sako put Palace ahead in the 65th minute.

The crowd stayed with the team and, months after many Blues wanted rid of Pellegrini, the whiff of mutiny has abated. City are looking to maintain their 100 per cent start to the campaign and can set a new record of 10 successive wins by beating the promoted Hornets. They know it will be hard to win in our stadium. The placid Pellegrini showed his ruthless side by introducing Nasri promptly, the improvement was nearly immediate and the game was won with half-an-hour to play.

Raheem Sterling opened the scoring, and his City account, poking home a fine volley from Bacary Sagna’s cross. “We have a lot of games to play”, the left-back said. “I hope everything will be solved this week”.

Boss Quique Flores talked up his team’s chances in the build-up but sent them out to get behind the ball and limit the space for City’s attacking play that overwhelmed Chelsea a fortnight ago. For me it’s not comfortable.

Watford could not conjure up clear-cut chances, despite few moments of sustained pressure, as City appeared the most likely to add to their tally.

Mitrovic, who has now picked up two bookings and a sending-off in his first five appearances, received a straight red card after catching Francis Coquelin with an over-the-ball challenge.

Watford’s disciplined defending stifled their hosts’ early threat, and Toure started to push forward and add power and guile to the City attack. He was signed just last week from La Liga club Valencia. “I always trusted him; it’s not surprised me how quickly he has settled here”, manager Manuel Pellegrini said. I respect Pellegrini like a person, like a coach.

Liverpool harbors ambitions of winning a 19th title – the first since 1990 – but could struggle to just return to the top four, as Saturday’s 3-0 home capitulation to West Ham demonstrated.