Manuel Pellegrini's side has come into top form as of late and now the Citizens are just one point off the top of the Premier League table after a 4-2 win over Fulham. The Cottagers fell behind 2-0 going into the break, but René Meulensteen's club fought back to equalize at 2-2 midway through the second half before City pulled away for good.
A bizarre own-goal by City captain Vincent Kompany put Fulham right back in the match, but Pellegrini's substitutions paid off heavily as Jesus Navas and James Milner both found the net in the final 12 minutes to seal the victory.
"We were very nervous at 2-2 but Navas and Milner played very well and they scored one goal each," Pellegrini stated after the win. "Some of the players were tired, and some were not having a good day but with Navas and Milner we have another style of play and both were very important."
Manchester City came into the match without key players Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta, but it wasn't enough for Fulham as they have now dropped four of their last five home fixtures. The Cottagers' quick response in the second half stifled City's attack and gave Pellegrini a scare before the Citizens regained momentum with fresh legs.
"I think when we were 2-0 and 2-1 up we had more chances to score, but we missed them. We had some really bad luck with their second goal, but that happens in football," Pellegrini added. "It’s important that the team reacted and Navas and Milner were very important in this."
With four consecutive wins under his belt, Pellegrini will now look forward to a Boxing Day matchup with current leaders Liverpool. Luis Suarez added two more goals to his league-leading tally of 19, but the Reds are in for their toughest match of the early season at the Eithad next week.
“It’s going to be a tough game for both us and Liverpool but I hope we can continue to play the way we are at home – scoring lots of goals, but it will be tough,” Pellegrini said about his club's next Premier League opponent. “The most important thing for us now is to beat Liverpool and then we will look at the second match (against Crystal Palace).”
With a win over the Reds, Manchester City could gain sole possession of first place in the table if Chelsea can beat Arsenal on Monday. Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers has made it known that this is City's race to lose, but Pellegrini will take no chances going into the holidays as the Citizens remain focused on taking control of the Premier League.