West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has admitted he wants to help his former club Manchester City by beating Liverpool at the London Stadium on Monday night.
City closed the gap at the Premier League summit to just two points on Sunday thanks to Sergio Aguero’s hat trick in a 3-1 win over Arsenal, and now the pressure is on Jurgen Klopp’s side to react.
Speaking ahead of the game, as reported by the BBC, Pellegrini insisted he’ll be happy with the three points but it will also please him knowing the Hammers will have lent City a helping hand:
If we win, I will be very happy for our club first. We need a good performance against the leaders. After that, if we can give a hand to Manchester City, it’s not our problem, but of course I am a fan of Manchester City also.
The 65-year-old won a Premier League and two League Cups over the course of the three years he was in charge of the Cityzens, before being replaced by Pep Guardiola in 2016.
Liverpool will go into Monday’s clash with confidence after hammering West Ham 4-0 in the reverse fixture at Anfield back in August, but the hosts should by no means be underestimated.
Pellegrini’s side have already beaten Manchester United and Arsenal, as well as taking points off Chelsea at the London Stadium this term.
