Manuel Pellegrini
Manuel Pellegrini Reuters

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed he rejected a Liverpool job offer in the summer of 2010.

The Chilean manager was shown the exit door from Real Madrid in 2010 after spending one season at Santiago Bernabeu. Pellegrini was approached by the Merseyside club before they appointed current England manager Roy Hodgson at Anfield.

However, the former Malaga manager turned down the offer made to him by the Reds and admits that he has no regrets about rejecting the Liverpool job. City will travel to Anfield as they take on Liverpool for the league fixture on Sunday.

The Reds have transformed from a mid-table club into genuine title contenders under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers this season.

"After I finished with Real Madrid I had a conversation with Liverpool. It's in the past not the future. I have no regrets about not taking [the] Liverpool job because it gave me the chance to work at Manchester City. No regrets about that," Pellegrini explained.

The game falls in line with the 25<sup>th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

The result at Anfield will be crucial in the title race. Liverpool are on top of the table with 74 points from 33 games, leading third place City with four points. However, the Citizens have two games in hand.

"It will be a very emotional day but the team that has the cold mind will win the game. It is easy in these big games to have the motivation but it is very important to manage the anxiety. With an excess of anxiety you can make more mistakes," City manager said.

"It will be decided by one or two goals. So it's very important to have control of your minds in these moments."

"I can't imagine that the Liverpool manager does not have pressure to win the title," he continued. I think every manager or every team that has big players and that spends money to win the title has the same pressure every year."

"Just one point will decide the title. The pressure is the same for both teams, and for Chelsea also. Three teams will fight for it until the last day," Pellegrini concluded.