Champions League slot must be City’s priority now, says Fernandinho

'Everyone is disappointed, but we have to look forward'

Fernandinho says City are virtually out of the title race (PA)

Fernandinho has admitted what Manuel Pellegrini could not on Saturday, that Manchester City are virtually out of the Premier League title race following their 0-0 draw at Norwich City.

City have managed just one win in their last five league games, during which time Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur have pulled away.

“Everyone is disappointed, but we have to look forward,” said midfielder Fernandinho. “We have nine games to play and if we don’t have the chance to be champions, we have to finish in the top four.It’s tough to drop points like that but if we don’t have the chance to fight for the title, we have to make sure of Champions League.”

Pellegrini said City would continue to try to win the league until it was mathematically impossible, but their immediate priority is the Champions League last-16 second leg against Dynamo Kiev tomorrow t, in which they have a 3-1 lead.

Norwich’s point was only their second time in 10 games. Their next four games, against West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Sunderland, will largely determine if they have a Premier League future.

Southampton’s European tilt received a shot in the arm at Stoke, but James Ward-Prowse knows Saturday’s 2-1 victory will count for little if they fail to beat Liverpool next Sunday.

Saints’ impressive rise has faltered at times this season, but with eight matches remaining they lie seventh. Ward-Prowse said they are determined to make amends after bowing out of the Europa League at the play-off stage this season.

“Stoke are geared up to play European football, like us, so to be able to get one over on them is nice,” he said. “Hopefully that’ll give us some more momentum going into the last few games. [The ambition is] obviously to play European football.”

Such a finish would satisfy many Southampton supporters in the long term, but the immediate focus is on beating Liverpool.

Steve Cook, Bournemouth’s match-winner on Saturday, says the team’s ambition is now to finish in the top half of the table after effectively assuring themselves of Premier League safety with a 3-2 win over Swansea City that lifted them to 38 points, 13 clear of the relegation zone.

Goals from Max Gradel and Josh King twice put Bournemouth ahead, only for Modou Barrow and Gylfi Sigurdsson to peg them back. Swansea could not recover a third time after Cook nodded home Matt Ritchie’s cross with 12 minutes remaining.

“We’d like to think we are safe,” the defender said. “Our target now is to finish as high up the league as possible, to get into the top half. ”

The Swans were looking to take another step towards their own survival, but with eight points between them and the drop zone they cannot relax just yet. Head coach Francesco Guidolin will be back at the helm against Aston Villa next weekend after missing the last three matches with a lung infection.