Cape Town - Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is confident the team have the quality to bounce back from their 2-0 loss to Arsenal when they face Chelsea next weekend.
The Citizens, who are now five points behind Jose Mourinho's Blues, were condemned to just their second home defeat of the season thanks to a penalty from Santi Cazorla and a second-half header from Olivier Giroud.
The loss prompted suggestions that Chelsea could now run away with the Premier League title, but Hart is confident City still have a chance at retaining the trophy, provided they get a result at Stamford Bridge in two weeks' time.
ESPN quote Hart as saying, before the next title examination next weekend,: "All is not lost,"
"We are confident and sometimes stuff happens, you lose games, it wasn't down to a lack of effort or a lack of ability. It was a penalty and a set-piece has cost us.
"We have performed well for the majority of the season. Sometimes it happens but we will bounce back.
"There is a long way to go. We have got Middlesbrough in the FA Cup we are looking to win that [competition] again.
"That was a great feeling a couple of years ago [when City won it in 2011], and then we go to Chelsea and we put right what happened on Sunday.
"We are together. We are a great group. I enjoy each player's company and it helps there is a lot of quality in the dressing room."
The Citizens, who are now five points behind Jose Mourinho's Blues, were condemned to just their second home defeat of the season thanks to a penalty from Santi Cazorla and a second-half header from Olivier Giroud.
The loss prompted suggestions that Chelsea could now run away with the Premier League title, but Hart is confident City still have a chance at retaining the trophy, provided they get a result at Stamford Bridge in two weeks' time.
ESPN quote Hart as saying, before the next title examination next weekend,: "All is not lost,"
"We are confident and sometimes stuff happens, you lose games, it wasn't down to a lack of effort or a lack of ability. It was a penalty and a set-piece has cost us.
"We have performed well for the majority of the season. Sometimes it happens but we will bounce back.
"There is a long way to go. We have got Middlesbrough in the FA Cup we are looking to win that [competition] again.
"That was a great feeling a couple of years ago [when City won it in 2011], and then we go to Chelsea and we put right what happened on Sunday.
"We are together. We are a great group. I enjoy each player's company and it helps there is a lot of quality in the dressing room."