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Manuel Pellegrini: 'First month of season is easiest'

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini warns that the season will only get more difficult for his table-topping side once European and domestic cup competitions begin.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has warned that things will only get more difficult for the club after the international break as Premier League fixtures begin to be juggled with Champions League and domestic cup commitments.

City are the only team with a 100% record from their first four league games of the season, and are yet to even concede a goal as they enjoy a three-point gap at the top of the table.

However, the Chilean insists that the true test of his pace-setting side will come when domestic football returns after this weekend's international break.

"Football changes so easily," he told The Mirror. "You cannot know what will happen in the next month. Now we have an international break. On the one hand, it is good to stop, because we have a lot of injured players. On the other hand, we are playing well, so we want to continue.

"For the opening month, we have played just one game a week, but when we come back, the Champions League starts, and the Capital One Cup starts [for City], too. So we will be playing eight games each month.

"There are a lot of things that can make football change. That is why it is important to start well and to know why we are playing this way."

City can open up a minimum of a four-point gap just five weeks after the start of the season if they beat second-placed Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, September 12.

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Manchester City's Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho (L) celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Watford at The Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England on August 2
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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