AFP, United Kingdom :
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini praised his side’s response to a “very difficult week” after they beat Hull City to rekindle their Premier League title challenge.
City exited the FA Cup and Champions League earlier this week after defeats by Wigan Athletic and Barcelona, but goals from David Silva and Edin Dzeko earned them a 2-0 win at Hull on Saturday.
The victory came despite the 10th-minute dismissal of captain Vincent Kompany and left Pellegrini’s side six points shy of Chelsea with three games in hand, after Jose Mourinho’s men crashed to a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa.
“It was a very good response from the team after a very difficult week,” Pellegrini said. “Playing with one player less for 80 minutes, it was a very important response from the team.
“Of course, it’s more difficult to play with 10 players, but I trust in the team and the players and I think we did very well with and without the ball.”
Chelsea manager Mourinho has repeatedly insisted that City have the advantage in the title race, but speaking before the London club’s defeat at Villa, Pellegrini took a diplomatic line on his team’s chances.
“We are not sending out messages to anyone, to Chelsea or any other team,” he said.
“It was a chance to come back to the Premier League after three weeks and win a game. It was important to us to return to the Premier League by winning the game, and we did it.”
Spanish midfielder Silva scored a stunning opener in the 14th minute and then set up a late Edin Dzeko strike after City had weathered a second-half battering from Steve Bruce’s Hull.
