Manchester City: Manuel Pellegrini staying calm over away form

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says he will not panic despite seeing his side's search for a first away win of the season continue following defeat at Aston Villa.

The visitors twice led through Yaya Toure and Edin Dzeko but goals from Karim El Ahmadi, Leandro Bacuna and Andreas Weimann gave Villa a 3-2 win.

City have won all three home games, but have lost two and drawn one away.

"I must be patient. It is important to keep calm," said Pellegrini.

"I think the team played well and I hope some day we will win away because this is the third game we played away and we did not win.

"In general I was very happy with the way my team played and we deserved a different score."

City arrived at Villa Park looking to continue the momentum from their emphatic 4-1 win at home to reigning Premier League champions Manchester United last weekend.

They looked like they would do just that as they dominated Aston Villa in the first half and took a deserved lead just before the break through Toure's volley from a corner.

El Ahmadi equalised just after the restart but Dzeko swiftly restored the visitors' lead with a powerful header.

But two goals in as many minutes changed the game. The impressive Bacuna scored a 25-yard free-kick and then Weimann capitalised on poor defending to score the winner.

"We played very well and deserved to win, but in five minutes we threw away everything good we did in the rest of the match," added Pellegrini.

"The way we lost this game was incredible. We led twice, and we had control of the game.

"Maybe we deserved more but football is like this."

Despite losing to a team that was without a home win in the league prior to facing City, Pellegrini does not believe his side's away form gives reason to question their credentials as title challengers this season.

"We are not thinking about the title at the moment," he said. "We are thinking about winning the most amount of matches.

"In the Premier League, the difference [between teams] is very small.

"If we play the way we are playing I am absolutely sure we are going to be fighting for the league."