Manager Manuel Pellegrini admits Manchester City wasted chance to keep up with Chelsea post Everton draw

Manchester City football team manager Manuel Pellegrini has admitted that his squad wasted a chance to keep pace with current Premier League leaders Chelsea after his men were held to a 1-1 draw at Everton.

Fernandinho helped City take the lead but Everton quickly equalised through Steven Naismith as Roberto Martinez's side earned a deserved point.

Pellegrini, whose team is now two points adrift of Chelsea, said that they really dominated the game in the first half, but added that if one gets chances and doesn't take them then it is very difficult to win, the BBC reported.

He added that his side had to make the difference in that first 45 minutes but they finished in the wrong way.

City were without Yaya Toure, who is on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ivory Coast, although Sergio Aguero was fit to return as a substitute after five weeks out with a knee injury.

Pellegrini believes that every team would drop points from now on until the end of the season, adding that they never think before the game it is going to be easy and admitted that Everton is a very difficult team at Goodison Park.

Everton boss Roberto Martinez was pleased with his side avoided the ignominy of losing five league games in a row for the first time in more than nine years and was delighted with the performance of striker Romelu Lukaku.

Martinez said that Lukaku is a player who needs to be at his best physically, adding that the striker can't contribute fully just by being half-fit. He claimed that when Lukaku came back from the World Cup he wasn't 100 percent but added that the striker's desire made him want to contribute.