Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has said that he expects the Premier League title race to go all the way to the end of the season.
The Chilean feels that there are too many clubs with quality players for one team to race ahead and gain a significant points advantage over their rivals.
"Maybe Manchester United did that in the past. Then Chelsea for a while, but now there are too many good teams for it to happen," the 62-year-old told reporters on Friday.
Regarding the Citizens' first defeat of the season at the hands of West Ham, Pellegrino added: "We felt we were unlucky against West Ham but they defended very well and they also won away at Arsenal and Liverpool. Not every team can do that but there are a lot of good teams in this division; too many for one club to run away with it.
"Hopefully we are over that defeat now. No matter how well you play it is impossible to win all your games because that is not what the Premier League is like. Almost any team in it can beat any other. The important thing is to keep on trusting in the way that you play."
City take on Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in Saturday's early kickoff.