English Premier League: Kompany adamant City haven’t given up title fight

Skipper confident ahead of West Brom clash despite being knocked out of CL.

MANCHESTER/ NEWCASTLE:

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany insists his side have not completely written off the rest of the season ahead of their clash with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

City were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona on Wednesday after a 1-0 last-16 second-leg loss at the Nou Camp which saw them exit the competition 3-1 on aggregate.

Manuel Pellegrini’s team is also trailing six points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea as they prepare for Saturday’s match at Eastlands.

Chelsea also have a game in hand on City, making them firm favourites for the title, but even though the odds are stacked against the reigning champions, Belgian defender Kompany refuses to give up hope of a late charge to retain the trophy.

“Forget about Chelsea. We owe it to ourselves, to our fans to have a good end to this campaign,” he said.

City host West Brom looking to put their disappointing exit to Barcelona behind them.

And England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who produced a superb man-of-the-match performance against the Spanish giants, insists City’s players will be able to concentrate on the task in hand against West Brom.“We’ve got to refocus. There are going to be tired people but we’ve got a fantastic squad here,” he said. “Stevan Jovetic didn’t even make our smaller European squad so we’re ready; we’re going to have bodies ready. I’m certainly going to be ready.”

Pellegrini has no fresh injury concerns and former Swansea striker Wilfried Bony is expected to be given a chance to start in attack.

West Brom are eight points clear of the relegation zone following last weekend’s win over Stoke, however captain Darren Fletcher says no one at The Hawthorns is taking survival for granted yet.

And the former Manchester United player insists moving a step closer to that aim is more important to him than dealing another blow to the title chances of his old club’s local rivals. “Maybe I’ll be singled out for a bit more criticism without the United lads around me,” said Fletcher of his return to the home of United’s hated neighbours.

“But I don’t see it as denting their title hopes. I see it as getting West Brom safe, I have great respect for City and people around Manchester.”

The Baggies are certain to be without first-choice goalkeeper Ben Foster, who has been ruled out for at least a month with a knee injury, so Boaz Myhill will deputise.

Wenger coy over Arsenal’s title chances

Arsene Wenger admits it will take a major slip from Chelsea to allow Arsenal back into the Premier League title race.

Wenger’s side will attempt to put their agonising midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Monaco behind them when they travel to face Newcastle on Saturday.

Victory at St James’ Park would extend their run of five successive league wins, a sequence that has taken them to within one point of second-placed Manchester City and seven points behind leaders Chelsea, who have a game in hand.

Wenger believes his side is gathering momentum at an important time of the domestic campaign, although he accepts the disappointment of going out of Europe on the away-goals rule despite winning 2-0 in Monaco in the second leg has dented morale.

“At the moment we are too far away from Chelsea, but we have an opportunity every week to get closer and for that we need positive results from us, and negative results from Chelsea,” said Wenger.

“However, I do not count on the weaknesses of any of our opponents. We just have to focus on our strengths.”

Meanwhile, Newcastle are short of defensive options as they look to record a first home victory over the Gunners since 2005.Skipper Fabricio Coloccini starts a three-match suspension while Massadio Haidara is again set to miss out with a knee problem, with fellow defenders Steven Taylor, Paul Dummett and Curtis Good not due back from injury until the start of pre-season training.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2015.

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