Joe Hart kept City in the tie by saving Messi's penalty
The pressure to hold onto their Premier League title has suddenly been cranked up with a likely Champions League exit after the Spanish masters dished out a footballing lesson in the 2-1 round of 16 first leg defeat of Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
Hart’s penalty save at the death from Lionel Messi was little consolation for the England keeper as Pellegrini and his players were shown no mercy by the critics, there being no allowance for the strength of the opposition.
That’s life for football’s nouveau riche club right now and the volume of dissent will increase if City fail to deliver this afternoon at Anfield against Liverpool.
Much of the disdain will come Pellegrini’s way. It doesn’t surprise a street wise Hart.
Liverpool v Manchester City - Premier League Preview
“The manager cops the flak when you don’t perform but is that fair after what he (Pellegrini) has done? But that’s life being at Manchester City,” he maintained.
“I let a goal in and I’m under pressure. We miss chances and we don’t score, the lads are under pressure.
“But that’s why we are at this club. We aren’t here to hide. The manager doesn’t want to be the manager of this club so he can hide. He fronts it. He has been a great manager for us and will continue to try and win things with us, and we want to win things with him.”
Hart is getting used to City being written off after a bad result. He only has to refer to the last time City were at Anfield.
They left Merseyside in mid April smarting from a 3-2 defeat which left Pellegrini’s men in third place and Liverpool the new title favourites.
In the end Liverpool messed up and City came through on the rails for their second Premier League title in three seasons.
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