Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez has refused to rule out his side's chances of finishing second in the Premier League.

Victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium earlier today would have brought the Blues to within one point of their hosts, who currently occupy the runners-up spot.

However, City ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez, which in turn put them seven points clear of Chelsea.

Despite the deficit, Benitez has insisted that his side will not "give up" their pursuit of the champions.

"When you lose you have to be disappointed and this game was important for us because we could have been closer to Man City but we cannot give up, we have to carry on, try to win our games and get close," he told the club's official website.

"We have to fight for the top four because Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton are close behind."

Next up for Chelsea is a home match against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.