Manuel Pellegrini repeats Chelsea 'small team' claim

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini believes Chelsea have earned the right to play the way they want but insists he is not a fan of their brand of football.

Pellegrini has congratulated Jose Mourinho's men - who can secure the crown this weekend - as worthy winners of the title but has repeated his claim Chelsea that play like a "small team".

The 61-year-old first described the Londoners as a small team when the sides drew at the Etihad Stadium in September and also compared them to Stoke.

Pellegrini said: "We won exactly the same as Chelsea did this year in a different way last season, absolutely a different way.

"I always try to think in the same way when we are losing or winning. When we play against Chelsea I say the impression is we play against a small team with very good players.

"For me, a big team which has possession of the ball must try to score more goals, must try always to win. But, I repeat, the most important thing is to win. After that you can choose the style you want.

"I don't criticise him (Mourinho). It is different ways of thinking. Every person is different, I don't think every person must be exactly the same.

"Maybe for some managers it's more attractive to score goals. Maybe for another manager it's more attractive not to concede goals. You must ask the fans what they prefer.

"This season I think that Chelsea were the best team, that he (Mourinho) deserves to win the title because he has (had) the most consistent team with very good players.

"I congratulate his owner because he is always improving his squad and I congratulate his fans and Jose Mourinho and the players because they deserve, absolutely, the title."

Pellegrini has had a long-running rivalry with Mourinho dating back to when the pair both worked in Spain.

The Portuguese this week renewed his attack on City over their punishment for breaching European football's Financial Fair Play regulations last year by claiming they should have been docked points.

But Pellegrini dismissed Mourinho’s claims, adding the Chelsea manager has always got a lot to say.

He said: "I don't have a view about that. Every manager can say what he wants about Financial Fair Play rules. We didn't lose points because we don't deserve to.

"There are so many things he (Mourinho) always says that don't matter – a criminal campaign about Chelsea or referees or the FA Cup or other managers or other things."