Pellegrini sets quadruple challenge
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Shanghai Daily, January 23, 2014
|
|
|
Manchester City went through the motions to comfortably book their place in the League Cup final, running out 3-0 winners on the night and 9-0 on aggregate, taking their goal total for the season to 106 in the process. |
Manuel Pellegrini challenged his Manchester City stars to set their sights on a quadruple after they swept into the League Cup final in emphatic fashion.
Pellegrini's side showed no mercy as two goals from Alvaro Negredo and a Sergio Aguero strike crushed West Ham 3-0 in the League Cup semifinal second leg at Upton Park on Tuesday.
The ruthless display in east London sealed a 9-0 aggregate triumph that was the largest semifinal margin of victory in the history of the competition.
City can now look forward to a Wembley showdown against Manchester United or Sunderland on March 2, which gives Pellegrini a chance to secure the first trophy since he arrived as Roberto Mancini's replacement in the summer.
The League Cup remains very much fourth priority on Pellegrini's to-do list however, and the Chilean believes success in the English Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup is also a distinct possibility if they can maintain their current free-scoring form.
"I'm very proud of the team. We arrived in the final winning the five games with 19 goals scored, with just one goal conceded," Pellegrini said.
"Always a final at Wembley is a very important final and I'm very proud of the team that we are still in four competitions.
"Now we've finished with the League Cup until March. It's very important to continue in the FA Cup, so we must win against Watford.
"We'll continue with the same winning and ambitious mentality.
"We are thinking about winning every match."
City are now unbeaten in their last 18 matches in all competitions. With their forward line functioning as well as any in Europe, a clean sweep of the four trophies can't be ruled out.
Pellegrini won't let his players get too carried away just yet though, adding: "We have a lot of work to do. In the FA Cup we are just in the fourth round.
"In the Champions League we have a tough game against Barcelona.
"The Premier League's very close and it will still be close till the end."
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)