LONDON: Manuel Pellegrini says Manchester City will still have a good chance to win the Premier League even if they lose their summit meeting with surprise leaders Leicester.
Pellegrini's side are three points behind Leicester ahead of Saturday's crucial clash at Eastlands, where a victory for Claudio Ranieri's team would leave them firmly in control of the title race with 13 games remaining.
Leicester's midweek win over Liverpool maintained their remarkable rise and Pellegrini is well aware of the threat posed by the Foxes, but City boss is adamant their showdown will not prove a decisive match.
"We can win this game or lose this game and it will not finish the Premier League. After this you still have to play 13 more games, 39 points," Pellegrini said.
"You cannot think because you win you are the champions. If you lose you still have a lot of things to fight for between now and the end of the season.
"Maybe at the beginning Leicester were a surprise but now it is not a surprise. They are playing with a very high performance, they have a team that works well together and they have an experienced manager.
"I think they will be involved in the title race until the end.
"I hope we can win to close the gap and continue fighting with Leicester and other teams to see who will win the title this year."
Leicester have provided one of the most captivating stories in the Premier League era with their fairytale rise, but few outside the King Power Stadium believed Ranieri's men would still be in the thick of the title race at this late stage of the campaign.
Yet the Foxes weathered a potentially ruinous slump over the Christmas period as three wins in their last four games catapulted them back to the top.
While doubters question their ability to last the pace, Leicester's recent results have convinced Ranieri his players are embracing the spotlight and won't wilt under the pressure of battling for their first top-flight title.
"My players are very intelligent in every situation. Maybe everybody believes in something special and they are working for something special. This is important," Ranieri said.
"I think all the people understand we are doing something extraordinary so far.
"What happens in the future, I don't know, but already we gave a very good gift to our fans. What happened this season is not real."
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