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Cape Town - Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini admits his side had
taken their two-goal lead over Burnley for granted as Sunday's Etihad
Stadium encounter eventually finished 2-2.
The Citizens looked well on their way to another three-point haul this past weekend after heading into the break two goals to the good thanks to strikes from David Silva and Fernandinho.
However, the Clarets managed to turn things around in the second-half, with George Boyd halving the deficit before Ashley Barnes secured the comeback nine minutes from time.
The dropped points came as an even bigger blow to City as leaders Chelsea had also stumbled to a 1-1 draw at Southampton, leaving the two sides still separated by three points at the summit.
"We missed a big opportunity to get two more points leading 2-0 at half-time," Football411 quotes Pellegrini as saying after the game.
"And maybe everyone thought the game was over then, but I always say that the game is never over until the last whistle."
Pellegrini did, however, believe Burnley were fortunate to have been awarded their first goal, which the Chilean felt was off-side, while he also blamed the hectic festive fixture list for leaving his side at less than 100 percent.
“Unfortunately their first goal gave them a lot of trust, and it was a clear offside, but it was a mistake by the referee, and after that they controlled the game,” Pellegrini said.
“And for our team it was very difficult in the second half, we felt the last game 48 hours before, and that pitch against West Bromwich was very heavy.
“In the second half when they made it 2-2, I really felt that we did not have the legs to try to score, we had two shots, one from Nasri and one from Jovetic, but we could not have more shots than that.
“Their first goal gave them trust, as in the first half they did not have any clear chances, and then after that we did not also play well in the second half.
“And Burnley are a brave team that always tries to attack with two strikers, they always go forward, so it was difficult and from a rebound they scored a beautiful goal.”
The Citizens looked well on their way to another three-point haul this past weekend after heading into the break two goals to the good thanks to strikes from David Silva and Fernandinho.
However, the Clarets managed to turn things around in the second-half, with George Boyd halving the deficit before Ashley Barnes secured the comeback nine minutes from time.
The dropped points came as an even bigger blow to City as leaders Chelsea had also stumbled to a 1-1 draw at Southampton, leaving the two sides still separated by three points at the summit.
"We missed a big opportunity to get two more points leading 2-0 at half-time," Football411 quotes Pellegrini as saying after the game.
"And maybe everyone thought the game was over then, but I always say that the game is never over until the last whistle."
Pellegrini did, however, believe Burnley were fortunate to have been awarded their first goal, which the Chilean felt was off-side, while he also blamed the hectic festive fixture list for leaving his side at less than 100 percent.
“Unfortunately their first goal gave them a lot of trust, and it was a clear offside, but it was a mistake by the referee, and after that they controlled the game,” Pellegrini said.
“And for our team it was very difficult in the second half, we felt the last game 48 hours before, and that pitch against West Bromwich was very heavy.
“In the second half when they made it 2-2, I really felt that we did not have the legs to try to score, we had two shots, one from Nasri and one from Jovetic, but we could not have more shots than that.
“Their first goal gave them trust, as in the first half they did not have any clear chances, and then after that we did not also play well in the second half.
“And Burnley are a brave team that always tries to attack with two strikers, they always go forward, so it was difficult and from a rebound they scored a beautiful goal.”
