The moment that even shocked Pellegrini
The Ukranian – with the goal gaping – put his effort inches wide and the usually unflappable boss was entirely shocked.
He said: “Maybe it seemed easier to score than miss.”
The team had continued their recent recovery very well indeed and look capable of moving on from here with real confidence but that miss still rankles with the boss.
He said: “Yes a first clean sheet, so that shows the team has worked harder. In that sense, I’m happy. But when you have such clear chances against a big team, you must score at least one of them. You must score.”
He added: “They had a lot of possession because we allowed them to have the ball.
“We forced them to play most of the game from the right side, not the left side where Marcos Alonso and Eden Hazard are so dangerous.
“The first half was very clear, the way I wanted to play. The second we maybe lost too many balls. But against these teams, a draw is not a bad point.”