- Premier League
Zabaleta: 'Great' Pellegrini can reignite City
Pablo Zabaleta has hailed Manuel Pellegrini as a "great" manager who can help Manchester City overcome the disappointment of last season and try and regain the Premier League title.
Full-back Zabaleta was City's player of the year in 2012-13 but the club ended up without silverware after coming second in the Premier League and being stunned by Wigan in the FA Cup final.
However, the Argentina international hopes former Malaga manager Pellegrini can get them back to winning ways.
Zabaleta told City's official website: "I think he is a great coach and a great person. When I met him last Monday, he made a great impression.
"I think as a team, when you look at the players we have got, with the great technical ability, you always expect to win something. Probably last season was a little bit frustrating because we didn't win anything. We had a great chance to win the FA Cup but we didn't play well that game and Wigan fully deserved to win. It is time to look forward and be positive and try to win the title back."
Pellegrini has been active in the transfer market as City have signed Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo and Stevan Jovetic for around £90 million.
And Zabaleta believes Negredo and Navas, who were both bought from Sevilla, will be excellent acquisitions
"Big players are always very welcome at this club," the former Espanyol defender said. "I know Negredo and Navas more than Jovetic because I have been three years in Spain, I played three years in La Liga and played against them. They are very good players.
"Jovetic is a very interesting player, he did very well at Fiorentina and if the club and Manuel Pellegrini signs them it is because the manager knows they are good players."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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Premier League 2020/21
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 38 | 27 | 5 | 6 | +51 | 86 |
| 2 | Man United | 38 | 21 | 11 | 6 | +29 | 74 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 38 | 20 | 9 | 9 | +26 | 69 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | +22 | 67 |
| 5 | Leicester | 38 | 20 | 6 | 12 | +18 | 66 |
| 6 | West Ham | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | +15 | 65 |
| 7 | Tottenham | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | +23 | 62 |
| 8 | Arsenal | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | +16 | 61 |
| 9 | Leeds | 38 | 18 | 5 | 15 | +8 | 59 |
| 10 | Everton | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | -1 | 59 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | +9 | 55 |
| 12 | Newcastle | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | -16 | 45 |
| 13 | Wolves | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | -16 | 45 |
| 14 | Crystal Pal | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | -25 | 44 |
| 15 | Southampton | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | -21 | 43 |
| 16 | Brighton | 38 | 9 | 14 | 15 | -6 | 41 |
| 17 | Burnley | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | -22 | 39 |
| 18 | Fulham | 38 | 5 | 13 | 20 | -26 | 28 |
| 19 | West Brom | 38 | 5 | 11 | 22 | -41 | 26 |
| 20 | Sheff United | 38 | 7 | 2 | 29 | -43 | 23 |
