Premier League: Man City boss staying calm despite run of bad results

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has dismissed talk of crisis over the club's poor form.

Pellegrini has also denied he is under pressure and put his faith in out-of-form star Yaya Toure to return to his best.

City have won just one of their last five games, undermining their challenges in the Barclays Premier League and Champions League and ending hopes of retaining the Capital One Cup.

Questions have been asked of the team and Pellegrini's methods but the Chilean insists he has seen it all before.

The former Real Madrid coach said: "Every club will have difficult moments where they drop points and show some weakness at some point over the course of a season.

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"It was the same last season when we lost a few early away games and when we lost to Liverpool. In the end, finally, the title came here again.

"I don't have any pressures. I don't feel external pressure (and have not done) in my whole career.

"I've had a long career as a football player, around 15 years with a big team in Chile. After that I managed a lot of big teams in Argentina, Spain and here, and I am used to having different moments during the whole year.

"This is not a big crisis because we are less than half way into the season. It is impossible to have any conclusions."

The performances of Toure have been a talking point throughout the opening months of the season.

The Ivory Coast international was outstanding during last season's title success, scoring 20 league goals, but he has been below par since a difficult summer.

He voiced criticisms of City, became embroiled in a bizarre row with the club over how his birthday was celebrated and then suffered personal tragedy when his brother died.

Earlier this week he became the victim of racial abuse after reactivating his Twitter account and he was then sent off for an act of petulance in Wednesday's Champions League loss to CSKA Moscow.

It has been suggested the 31-year-old could be rested on compassionate grounds but Pellegrini has no intention of removing him from the firing line.

He said: "He is a very important player. He will continue to play (and in) the (position) he is playing so far, because that is the best way for him to play.

"I talk to him every day and I know he wants to continue playing and he has all my confidence."

Pellegrini has been equally dismissive on any suggestion the player could be sold.

He said: "Never in my mind. I am sure nobody at the club is talking about selling Yaya Toure."

City will look to get back to winning ways after their midweek frustration at QPR on Saturday evening.