Joleon Lescott has revealed that Manchester City have found the positives in their defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.The 2-1 loss last Monday scuppered chances of the club becoming the second side in the Premier League era to grind out an unbeaten season, but Lescott says the reaction of the Chelsea players showed his team-mates were seen as the favourites for the title.
'If teams like Chelsea are seeing us as a big scalp then it can only be good for us. We took it as a compliment - not as a sign of disrespect,' he told The Mirror.
'We saw them go into a huddle [of celebration] on the pitch at the end and we had heard their manager say that if they didn’t win then their title hopes were over. That’s not the case now, but we’re still top of the league and that’s where we intend to stay.
'We could see it meant so much to them, and Chelsea, like the other teams, know if they do finish above us they are going to have a great chance of winning the league. And that is a massive compliment to us.'
Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole is rumoured to have taunted the City players about their exit from the Champions League after the game but Lescott revealed that this will only serve to inspire Manchester City.
'They were supposed to have said something - I was already in the dressing room, so I didn’t see what was going on in the tunnel, but I wouldn’t be surprised,' he said.
'We are not fazed by that [Cole's alleged taunts of 'Thursday night, Channel 5' - a reference to City's Champions League failure and slide into the Europa League]. We’re going into that competition looking to win it and if we do win, then it’s a major accomplishment for the club. But the title is what we are aiming at.'
With such heady ambitions, Lescott is quick to point out the advantage of Roberto Mancini's attention to detail.
'There were always going to be doubters at first when the manager arrived. But he has been so professional with us and he has made the club progress.
'We won the FA Cup last year and we’re doing well in the league this season and other competitions so it is a good time.
'He’s very demanding. If he’s not happy with what you are doing in games, he’ll show it in training; he’ll show where you’re going wrong.
'We tend to do a lot of work in training on the tactical side so that when situations do occur in games we can deal with them.
'Even when we’ve won 5-1 he’s not happy with the goal we conceded. He says it’s a gift and that we like to give the other team a present, stuff like that. He has made us progress, and that is what the club needed.'
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