Fernandinho insists that Man City will not waste this second chance[GETTY]The Brazilian midfielder says City's challenge has been given fresh momentum following Liverpool's defeat to Chelsea on Sunday which switched the mentality of Manuel Pellegrini's squad from negative to positive.
City were favourites for two-thirds of the season but their defeat at Anfield three weeks ago followed by their shock home draw with Sunderland three days later took their destiny out of their own hands and left them fearing they had blown their chance.
But now are back in the driving seat again, boosted by the knowledge that wins in their remaining three games will be enough to give them a second championship in three seasons thanks to a superior goal difference, regardless of Liverpool and Chelsea's results.
"We are back with a big chance of being champions again," said Fernandinho. "We are not depending on other teams. It only depends on us, and that has changed a lot.
"It gives you energy as mentality is 70 per cent of your body, and a result like that changes everything - your mind, your motivation, everything. When your head is good, your body is good as well.
"At that time of the Sunderland game the most important thing was to win it not draw, but if you look at it now, maybe that point against them could make all the difference in future."
Steven Gerrard's unfortunate slip dramatically altered the title race [GETTY]City will be clear favourites to win their last two games, at home to Aston Villa and West Ham, but Fernandinho acknowledges tomorrow's visit to bogey club Everton is a dangerous fixture, especially with Roberto Martinez's team still chasing Arsenal for the fourth Champions League qualifying place.
Fernandinho insists however that the revitalised mood in the City squad means they are determined not to slip up again.
"It's a massive game for both teams," he said. "We are trying to keep fighting for the title and need to play to win the game, which hopefully we can do.
"Everton are at home in front of their fans, and they are always good at home. The atmosphere is also good there, and they will play with a lot of intensity - we have to be ready for that. It will be a very tough game.
"We will need to play our best football, in the way we have played for the last month. We cannot change, we have our style and we don't need to change, whether we are at home or away.
"The pressure was always on our side because we are a big team with big players and our target was always the Premier League title. We have to play with passion to win every game, and this next one is no different.
"We have waited a long time for this moment, and the positivity of the whole group is now very high. We will get better and better until the last game."
Fernandinho has been a crucial part of Manuel Pellegrini's success this season [PA]Fernandinho is hoping for a three-way celebration next week - his 29th birthday is on Sunday, then he hopes to secure a place in the World Cup finals when Brazil boss Felipe Scolari names his squad on Wednesday, before finishing the club season a week on Sunday with a title party at the Etihad Stadium.
It will be a major surprise if Scolari overlooks Fernandinho following his impressive debut season in England, while the player's performance and goal in Brazil's 5-1 win over South Africa in a friendly in March did his chances no harm at all.
He said: "It has always been my dream to play in the World Cup finals in my own country and with the squad being announced next Wednesday, next week could be the best week in my professional life.
"It would be amazing, fantastic for me to win the title in my first season in Premier League, and that is why I want to win these three games. But I need to keep calm and keep working, and wait for the moment."
No comments:
Post a Comment