Manchester City football team manager Manuel Pellegrini has come to Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard's defence saying that the skipper's slip did not cost Brendan Rodgers' side the Premier League title.
Gerrard will face a barrage of abuse at the Etihad on Tuesday over his "Bambi" boob, which handed the opening goal on a plate to victorious Chelsea's Demba Ba at the end of April.
But the City boss insists that that wasn't the turning point in last season's Premier League title race when his side was crowned champions by just two points over runners up Liverpool, The Daily Star reported.
And Pellegrini reportedly came out fighting against outsiders who goad City by continually sniping that the Premier League billionaires bought the title.
First, though, Pellegrini savored the moment to re-live the last few weeks of the championship chase when Gerrard's moment of despair had a major impact on the destiny of the English crown.
Pellegrini said that he did feel sorry for Gerrard, and added that he always feels sorry for players who make a mistake but he does not think that slip of Liverpool's skipper decided the title.
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The Chilean manager said that there are 38 games during the whole year and it was not a mistake. He added that it was a problem with the pitch, so it was not a mistake and it can happen.
And, Pellegrini added that it's not as if Gerrard missed a pass inside the box. He said that it was slippery and it can happen to any player.
Gerrard slumped to a gut-wrenching low after that Chelsea defeat in complete contrast to the euphoria of beating City 3-2 two weeks earlier and opening up a seven point gap, the report added.