Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini believes his team are fully equipped to deal with the immense pressure of expectation that lays upon them to retain the Premier League title this season.
The Chilean coach, who’s City boys secured a convincing home win over last season’s league runners-up Liverpool on Monday, believes the team’s assured performance and 3-1 result demonstrates their confidence and strength of squad and has set the standard for the season ahead.
Pellegrini is fully aware spectators are placing high expectations upon his side as the current Champions and said the team will need to ensure they uphold the same quality and firepower displayed against Liverpool, in order to ensure those high expectations are met going forward.
Speaking at a press conference this week, he told reporters: “That expectation does not depend on one game against Liverpool, it depends always. We are a strong team, the same as five or six other clubs in England.
“We don’t have a problem with that expectation. We need to win and we will try to win always.”
Man City’s start to the new season has been convincing with back-to-back wins. They won their debut fixture away to Newcastle on 17 August (2-0), which was followed by their 3-1 defeat of Brendan Rodgers’ Reds at the Etihad earlier this week. City’s next Premier League fixture is tomorrow, against Mark Hughes’ Stoke City, who they will play at home in Manchester.