Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said he is interested only in his own team's results after they maintained the pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea by beating West Bromwich Albion.
The 3-0 victory on Saturday cut Chelsea’s lead to three points, although the London club, who were due to visit Hull City on Sunday, have two games in hand over Pellegrini’s defending champions.
Despite a winning response to the mid-week Champions League exit at Barcelona, Pellegrini is aware that the odds are heavily stacked against his side retaining the title they won last May.
“We’re not thinking about that,” said Pellegrini. “We have to play eight games more now and we can win the eight games and if Chelsea doesn’t drop points, we cannot win the title.
“The important thing is not to think about other teams, but to think about our team, improve, and win the next game, which is against Crystal Palace.
“Of course, it’s always important to return to a victory after you have lost the last game. And we lost the last two games in different competitions, Wednesday in the Champions League and against Burnley in the Premier League. It was important to return to victory.”
Pellegrini said he would not watch Chelsea’s game at Hull, preferring instead to see the meeting between Liverpool and Manchester United, whom City play next month.
But with goals from Wilfried Bony, Fernando and David Silva, at least Pellegrini went into the 10-day international break on a winning note, albeit one tinged with controversy.
After barely 60 seconds of play, referee Neil Swarbrick sent off West Brom defender Gareth McAuley for a foul on Bony, even though the infringement had been committed by his teammate Craig Dawson.
Swarbrick conceded his error at half time and apologised after the game, but furious West Brom manager Tony Pulis called for the football authorities to introduce not only video replays but also a “challenge” system that would allow managers to contest contentious calls.
“I watched the Wolves-Derby game last night and there was a very similar incident in that game where the Wolves player stopped a player going through with no one behind him and the ref gave a free-kick and didn’t even book him,” Pulis said.
“So the inconsistency there is one thing but once he decides it’s a goalscoring opportunity and he has to send him off, I just can’t believe he picked the wrong player. It’s just beyond me.
Pulis said City’s second goal should have been waved off because Eliaquim Mangala kicked Saido Berahino in the face. “I think it’s a poor decision,” Pulis said. “Refereeing is not easy, especially at the level we’re at now – how quick the game is.
“This product is one of the greatest products this country now sells all over the world. There is no point criticising and moaning about referees, but I would definitely call now for managers to have two calls every game where it’s 30 seconds where you can have a video link-up with the people upstairs who can watch on video.
“Clubs can make money out of it by putting sponsors’ names on the scoreboard and it would help eradicate major decisions that the referee has got wrong.
“I think we’ve got to work very hard to get that in what is the greatest league in the world and the sooner that comes in, the better.”
Defeat left West Brom in 13th place in the table, eight points above the relegation zone.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Greatest of All Time
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Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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