Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has claimed that his relative successes with Malaga and Villarreal are bigger achievements than winning a trophy with a "big team".

The Chilean led the Yellow Submarine to the Champions League semi-finals in 2006, before taking Malaga to the knockout stages in their maiden season in the same competition last term.

The Mirror quotes Pellegrini as saying: "For me, what I did at Villarreal and Malaga - and I'm talking about me personally, not the fans – has more importance than to win a title with a big team.

"It's more difficult to take Villarreal to the semi or quarter-finals of Champions League than to win the title with an important team.

"So for me, it's not my personal ambition, but I would like to do it, of course. If we win a trophy playing the way we are playing now, with the football that I like, that is very important."

City host West Ham United in the League Cup semi-final this evening.