Pellegrini ambition unaffected by Guardiola’s arrival

Manuel Pellegrini insists he remains motivated for success at Manchester City despite Pep Guardiola’s forthcoming arrival as his replacement.
City return to Champions League action against Dynamo Kiev at the Etihad Stadium today, holding a healthy 3-1 advantage from the first leg in the Ukrainian capital.
They are not sitting so comfortably in the Premier League, with Saturday’s dispiriting 0-0 draw at struggling Norwich City leaving them nine points behind leaders Leicester City.
The Carrow Road result extended a dismal record for Pellegrini’s men of failing to win back-to-back league matches since October and they have won two and lost three of six since the club announced Bayern Munich boss Guardiola will take the managerial reins at the end of the campaign.
Pellegrini did also hoist the League Cup for the second time in three years during that period thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Liverpool at Wembley.
“For me, leaving at the end of the season or not, it’s the same responsibility to win,” he said.
“I don’t think one thing is linked to another.”
Former Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga boss Pellegrini has led City into the knockout stages of the Champions League for a third consecutive season, while predecessor Roberto Mancini failed in two attempts to get out of the group.
Their path to the quarter-finals has been blocked by Barcelona in each of the last two seasons, but, with an advantage he was never close to gaining in those ties, the manager does not want City to move away from their attacking instincts against Kiev.