Manuel Pellegrini takes responsibility for Manchester City shortcomings

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has defended his team's recent poor form by suggesting that this season has not been a complete "disaster".

The 61-year-old has come under intense criticism in recent weeks having seen his side exit the Champions League with defeat against Barcelona at the last-16 stage, as well as losing pace with leaders Chelsea in the Premier League title race.

While Pellegrini accepts the full blame for the Citizens' shortcomings this term, he insists that there is still plenty to play for between now and the end of the campaign.

"I think that always it will be my responsibility because I always choose the starting XI, I choose the squad and I choose the way we like to play," he is quoted as saying by BT Sport.

"I have a very good relationship with the players, always they try to give their best and we are not doing as bad as everyone has tried to demonstrate this year. We can do better - especially in both cups, that was not good for our team - but I don't think I have anything to complain about.

"Second position in a whole year I don't think is a disaster. We are not in eighth, ninth or 10th. Only Chelsea have done better than our team. We will try at least to keep second position and pressure Chelsea in the next nine games."

City return to action this afternoon when they play host to West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad Stadium, looking to claw back the six-point deficit on pacesetters Chelsea.

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Luciano Vietto 'might leave Villarreal this summer'

Liverpool target Luciano Vietto could leave Villarreal this summer, according to his agent.

Vietto has been the subject of intense speculation linking him with a move to Anfield, while Manchester United are also thought to have shown an interest in the 21-year-old.

However, the Argentine forward's agent Jorge Cyterszpiler has hinted that a move away from the Yellow Submarine is possible.

"He might leave in the summer. It is normal that the best clubs in the world are after him," Cyterszpiler is quoted as saying by Fichajes.net.

"If big clubs make an offer, we need to talk. The offer must be very good, not only for us but also for Villarreal."

Reports in Spain have claimed that Liverpool have made Vietto a "priority" target for this summer's transfer window, while La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have also been mooted as possible destinations for the frontman.

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Atletico Madrid coach Oscar Ortego admits interest in signing Edinson Cavani

Atletico Madrid coach Oscar Ortega has admitted that the reigning Spanish champions are interested in signing Edinson Cavani from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

After failing to score in his last eight league appearances, the Uruguayan is being linked with a move away from France, with compatriot Diego Forlan claiming that the 28-year-old would be "perfect" for Atletico.

Ortega, one of Diego Simeone's coaching staff, has revealed that the club are showing interest in signing the attacker.

According to Goal.com, when asked about signing Cavani in an interview, Ortega said: "Yes, there is [interest] and I would love to be able to sign him. For us, and for him, too."

Cavani is also being linked with a move to Juventus, as several clubs reportedly enquire about his availability.

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Victor Moses rejected Chelsea return

Nigerian winger Victor Moses reportedly rejected a return to Chelsea in January after Jose Mourinho attempted to recall the attacker.

The Blues manager is rumoured to have wanted to terminate the season-long loan Moses has with Stoke City and bring him back to strengthen his title-chasing squad.

However, the 24-year-old turned down the offer and decided to stick with the Potters for more first-team action, according to The Telegraph.

Mourinho eventually signed Juan Cuadrado, who has gone on to make six appearances since his move from Fiorentina in January.

The Colombian's move will now mean more competition for Moses on the wing once his loan spell finishes, but the Nigeria international is likely to leave Stamford Bridge permanently in the summer.

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Borussia Dortmund vs. Juventus Preview

Borussia Dortmund welcome Juventus to the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday knowing that a 1-0 victory over Massimiliano Allegri's men would be enough to see them through to the quarter-final stages of the Champions League.

Juve hold a slight advantage in the two-legged encounter following a slender 2-1 victory at home to Jurgen Klopp and his charges back in late February.

The Italian side know that any form of draw would give them safe passage, with an away goal making it a little more difficult for the North Rhine-Westphalian club.

Dortmund have enjoyed an important resurgence in 2015 and have managed to lift themselves from probable relegation to a safely-placed position in the middle of the German top flight.

The Germans have slightly faltered on the domestic front in their last two Bundesliga games, with Dortmund drawing blanks in two scoreless draws against Hamburger SV and FC Koln respectively.

Juventus are currently cruising at the summit of the Serie A standings, with a monumental 14-point gap separating the Old Lady and second-placed Roma.

The Italian outfit find themselves in fairly good form, having won their last two Serie A matches by one goal against Palermo and Sassuolo, but they were also recently knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Fiorentina.

Dortmund may not be too put off by the task in hand come Wednesday, given that Juve have only managed to notch wins by a one-goal margin over the course of their last six matches.

What could appeal to Klopp even more is the fact that Allegri's men have conceded at least one goal in four of those last six fixtures, meaning that if Dortmund can defend well enough then progression will be no impossible task. Die Borussen have also kept four clean sheets in six matches across all competitions.

Dortmund are expected to be missing both Kevin Grosskreutz and Lukasz Piszczek through injury, potentially leaving Oliver Kirch and Sokratis Papastathopoulos to battle it out for a place in the right full-back position.

Nuri Sahin was also missing for the German club at the weekend and he could miss out again on Wednesday. Ciro Immobile could start up top instead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Shinji Kagawa and Kevin Kampl providing options in midfield.

As for Juventus, Paul Pogba's league suspension at the weekend means that he should be in good shape for the clash, while both Arturo Vidal and Alvaro Morata got some form of a rest against Palermo.

Allegri may decide not to rush Andrea Pirlo back from his calf knock, especially given Roberto Pereyra's performance in the first leg in Turin.

Borussia Dortmund:

Form in Champions League: WWWLDL

Form in all competitions: WLWWDD

Possible starting lineup: Weidenfeller; Kirch, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer; Kehl, Gundogan; Reus, Kagawa, Mkhitaryan; Immobile

Juventus:

Form in Champions League: LLWWDW

Form in all competitions: WWDLWW

Possible starting lineup: Buffon; Bonucci, Chiellini, Lichtsteiner, Evra; Marchisio, Pereyra, Pgoba; Vidal; Morata, Tevez

Kick Off Time - 20:45HRS

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Barcelona vs. Manchester City Preview

Manchester City travel to the Camp Nou in the last 16 of the Champions League knowing that they must score at least two goals to progress past Barcelona into the quarter-final stages.

A brace from Luis Suarez gave Luis Enrique's men the advantage after the first leg at the Etihad, with Sergio Aguero grabbing a lifeline with a solitary effort to leave Manuel Pellegrini hoping for something special in Catalonia.

The Chilean boss goes into this fixture under increasing pressure following his side's recent dismal showing in the Premier League. Problems for the Sky Blues were highlighted on Saturday evening when they were undone by Burnley, who grabbed a 1-0 victory at Turf Moor.

The current league champions were fairly impressive in February until they fell to Barcelona, which was then followed by a devastating loss to Liverpool at Anfield. As it stands, now only one point separates Pellegrini's men and a resurgent third-placed Arsenal.

City's coach goes into the game knowing that some fans would welcome a move away from the team's 4-4-2 system, which could potentially see both Samir Nasri and James Milner come back into the fold.

Things could not be more different for Barcelona as they have won all of their last six games across all competitions, with victories coming in La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

The Catalans currently lead the league table and claimed a comfortable 2-0 away win over Eibar at the weekend to build from an impressive 6-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano the week before.

Statistics show that Barca are clear favourites to progress on Wednesday, with Enrique's charges claiming five straight wins in the tournament. The Spanish side have also scored at least two goals in their last six games in the showpiece.

When observing head-to-head history, the La Liga outfit are dominant too. Barcelona have beaten City in every one of their last three matches, bagging at least two goals in each of those meetings.

City will most likely be boosted by the return of Yaya Toure from suspension, but they will be without the suspended Gael Clichy, who was sent off in the first leg in England. As mentioned, Milner and Nasri could return if Pellegrini decides to change from his much-criticised 4-4-2 setup.

As for Barcelona, Sergio Busquets and Thomas Vermaelen remain the only absentees. Wednesday's hosts could welcome back both Dani Alves and Jordi Alba, who sat out at the weekend due to league suspensions. Enrique also had the chance to rest Javier Mascherano, Andres Iniesta and Xavi against Eibar, and they could all feature against City.

Barcelona:

Form in Champions League: LWWWWW

Form in all competitions: LWWWWW

Possible starting lineup: Bravo; Montoya, Bartra, Pique, Adriano; Roberto, Rakitic, Rafinha; Messi, Suarez, Neymar

Manchester City:

Form in Champions League: DDLWWL

Form in all competitions: WWLLWL

Possible starting lineup: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Mangala, Kolarov; Milner, Navas, Fernandinho, Toure, Silva; Aguero

Kick Off Time - 20:45HRS

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Howard Webb to select Premier League referees

Howard Webb has been appointed the select group performance director for the refereeing body Professional Game Match Officials Limited.

The 43-year-old will pick officials for Premier League games after being promoted from technical director.

Webb retired from refereeing in August 2014 following a 25-year career.

The former policeman officiated both the World Cup final and the Champions League final in 2010.

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West Bromwich Albion striker Brown Ideye earns Nigeria recall

West Bromwich Albion striker Brown Ideye has been rewarded for his recent form courtesy of a recall to the Nigeria squad.

The 26-year-old, who represented his country at the 2013 Confederations Cup, had recently fallen out of a favour with previous head coach Stephen Keshi.

However, having scored five goals in his last eight outings for the Baggies, the 24-capped forward has been included in the squad for this month's friendly matches against Bolivia and South Africa.

"So happy to be back with the National team," he tweeted yesterday evening.

Ideye joined West Brom from Dynamo Kyiv last summer for £10m.

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Manchester City open talks with Kevin de Bruyne's agent

Manchester City have reportedly contacted the agent of Wolfsburg's Kevin de Bruyne regarding a possible return to the Premier League.

The reigning English champions have previously been linked with the 23-year-old, who left Chelsea for Germany in 2014 after failing to earn a regular spot at Stamford Bridge over a two-year spell.

According to Belgium newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, City's director of football Txiki Begiristain has opened talks with De Bruyne's representatives and will watch the player in Thursday's Europa League meeting against Inter Milan.

It is believed that Wolfsburg are keen to keep hold of the player, but Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also reportedly prepared to test the club's resolve.

De Bruyne has scored 15 goals and made 21 assists in 33 games for Wolfsburg this season.

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Arsene Wenger: 'Arsenal better off in Europa League'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has conceded that his side may have been better off finishing third in their group to contest the latter stages of the Europa League rather than the Champions League.

The Gunners crashed out in the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition for the fifth consecutive season last night, being eliminated by Monaco on away goals despite a 2-0 victory in the second leg.

Arsenal have not featured in the secondary UEFA tournament since the 1999-2000 season, but Wenger admitted that his side would stand more chance of lifting silverware should they fail to reach the Champions League knockout stages.

When asked whether he was unhappy at Arsenal's repeated exits in the first knockout round, Wenger told reporters: "Yes, but sometimes we have been beaten by opponents who were in the final.

"Perhaps it would be better not to go out like this and make the Europa League, we would be more likely to win."

Wenger also claimed that Monaco didn't deserve to progress, having failed to have a single shot on target during the second leg.

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Per Mertesacker: 'Arsenal a long way from winning Champions League'

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has admitted that his team are a long way from winning the Champions League following their exit from the competition at the hands of AS Monaco last night.

The Gunners almost created Champions League history at the Stade Louis II, but fell a goal short in their quest to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg.

Mertesacker acknowledged that his side lacked the "mental level" needed on the big stage at the Emirates last month, which ultimately cost them a place in the quarter-finals.

"It is difficult after such a performance like that to think, 'yeah, we missed that,'" the German defender told the London Evening Standard.

"In the first game, we didn't have that mental level you need to compete at the highest level. That was missing but you could see last night how good we are as a team and how well organised we can be.

"We need to consider that every day in training and in games. That is why we are so far away from winning the Champions League."

Arsenal have now been knocked out in the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition five years in a row.

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Arsene Wenger: 'Monaco don't deserve quarter-final place'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed his belief that AS Monaco did not deserve to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League last night.

Leonardo Jardim's side won the first leg of their last-16 tie with Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates in February but were forced to hang on in the return meeting at the Stade Louis II on Tuesday night.

The hosts didn't manage a single shot on target during the second leg, but Arsenal fell just short on the night as they were eliminated on away goals despite a 2-0 victory.

Asked if Monaco deserved to progress, Wenger told reporters: "I don't believe so. If you look at the number of shots on target they had you will be surprised. Every defeat hurts but we didn't lose."

Wenger also angered his Monaco counterpart Jardim by not shaking his hand at the end of the match.

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Manchester United's Ashley Young: 'We all wanted to impress Louis van Gaal'

Ashley Young believes that a number of Manchester United players have "improved" since Louis van Gaal arrived at the club as manager.

Last summer, the Dutchman replaced David Moyes, who spent less than 10 months in the Old Trafford hotseat after the team dropped to seventh in the Premier League under his leadership.

This season, Van Gaal has had his critics, but the Red Devils are currently fourth in the table and just two points behind second-placed Manchester City.

"There are obviously players in the team who have improved," Young told United's official website. "When the manager asked us to do a job at the start of the season, he was honest and truthful in what he wanted to do.

"We all wanted to impress, especially when he came in during pre-season as a new manager. Everybody wants to do well and we've kicked on from there. We've now come down to the business end of the season and this is where it is vitally important to pick up points until the end."

On Sunday, United will travel to Anfield to take on arch rivals Liverpool, who are just two points behind them in the league standings.

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Hristo Stoichkov: 'Real Madrid should sell Cristiano Ronaldo'

Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov believes that Real Madrid should sell Cristiano Ronaldo this summer if the price is right.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner appears to be growing unsettled at the Bernabeu following jeers from home supporters during the weekend victory over Levante on the back of a turbulent few weeks for the club.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with their former forward in the past, and Stoichkov has tipped Madrid to offload Ronaldo at the end of the campaign should a high enough bid be made.

"You would have to ask Florentino [Perez] about Ronaldo's future," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "Sooner or later he will be sold by the president.

"Football is like that but it depends on the president. I don't know if he needs the money; if he does then it is a good moment to sell him."

Ronaldo has scored 41 goals in 39 appearances for Los Blancos in all competitions this season.

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Brendan Rodgers: "Confidence is high" in Liverpool camp

Brendan Rodgers has insisted that the only way is up for his in-form Liverpool side following a fifth league win on the bounce.

The Reds overcame Swansea City 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium on Monday night to maintain their recent impressive form, closing within two points of fourth-placed Manchester United in the process.

Following a slow start to the campaign, Liverpool are now in a strong position to oust their great rivals for a place in next season's Champions League, with the two set to face off at Anfield this weekend.

"It's step by step," Rodgers told club's official website. "It was always going to be a process for us. We were so far behind and to be looking to make up the points was just going to take time.

"But we've put ourselves in a really good position now with nine games to go; the consistency and confidence of the team is really high."

Liverpool's last league defeat came back in December against United at Old Trafford.

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