Manuel Pellegrini proud of Man City's attacking style as he prepares for final fight

By Stephen Turner

Image: Manchester City must avoid defeat to Swansea on Sunday

Manuel Pellegrini says he is proud to be leaving a legacy of attacking football when he departs Manchester City this summer.

Pellegrini won the Premier League in his first season in charge but has overseen a decline in finishing position, points gained and goals scored in the two years since.

Failure to secure a draw at Swansea on Sunday could even deny successor Pep Guardiola Champions League football next year, with Manchester United two points behind and waiting for a slip-up when they take on Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

But Pellegrini believes City have proved they are more deserving of a top-four finish than their rivals, and the Chilean insists he has transformed the club's playing style since replacing Roberto Mancini in 2013.

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"An important thing is to compare with all the other teams," Pellegrini said at his final pre-match press conference. "If you make a summary of the three seasons that I was in charge here, we have always scored more goals.

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"It's a club that is growing every year, not just in results. We have another style of play, we are a team that takes more risks and scores a lot of goals. I am sure in the future this club will continue growing.

"I am proud of winning the titles, also I am proud of our style of play. [We play] for the fans."

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Image: Manuel Pellegrini hopes to secure a top-four finish in his final City game

The immediate priority is to hold off Manchester United, who failed to make the most of City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal when they were beaten at West Ham on Tuesday.

Pellegrini has warned his players to "be very careful" heading to Swansea but said: "We've been in the Champions League places all season so I hope we can do it with a win this weekend.

"I think we deserve to be in the Champions league...there's a lot of difference between our team and United during the season."

Aleksandr Kolarov is a doubt for Sunday, while Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Pablo Zabaleta are out.

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