Manuel Pellegrini: 'Title experience will be important'

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has said that his side's past experience of winning the Premier League title could prove to be key in this season's championship race.

The Citizens bounced back from a run of three consecutive league defeats to thrash Aston Villa 4-0 this afternoon, with all of their goals coming in the second half at the Etihad Stadium.

They still trail Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in the top four, but Pellegrini believes that his side will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

"I said last week all the teams will lose points from now until the end of the season," Pellegrini told reporters.

"It is the way you arrive to the end [that decides] whether the pressure will be more. We have more experience and that will be very important. We need to close that gap. We need the other teams to lose points, we are not just dependent on what we do, but we are sure we are going to take every game as a final.

"I am sure we are going to be involved in the title [race] to the end. The margin for error is very small but I think this team has the experience to try to do it."

City won the top-flight title as recently as 2014, while Arsenal have not won it since 2004, Spurs last won it in 1961 and Leicester have never been crowned champions of England.