Manuel Pellegrini concedes Manchester City are now battling to stay in the top four.

City appear to have lost too much ground to Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League title race and their recent form has led to a further worry, with the sides behind them catching fast.

Pellegrini said: "I think in this league you can never be sure you are going to have a Champions League place. You have six or seven teams that, from the beginning, all of them play for that position.

"At the moment, for the whole year, we have been in a position of the Champions League. I hope that we will continue."