Manuel Pellegrini sent a warning out to the Premier League that Manchester City are ready to hit top gear in the title race after ending their away-day misery at Watford.
Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero earned a 2-1 comeback win on Saturday as Manchester City won on the road for the first time since September 12.
Despite their travel sickness, Pellegrini’s side remain just three points off leaders Arsenal.
“We are returning to our form by recovering important players and once they are 100 per cent fit the team will improve every game,” Pellegrini said.
“We are thinking of going game by game but when you win a game like we did here there is a lot of trust in the team.
“We never gave up. It was important to win after six games with the way we had been playing before. I’ve always said this team has character and will never give up.
“It was a tough game against a good team that is in a good moment. We can move on from here.”
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Aguero has been struggling with injuries all season but he took his tally to double figures with his late winner.
He will be a key player with City vying on four fronts. Pellegrini is taking it game by game — starting with Wednesday’s League Cup first-leg tie at Everton.
“He is a big player for us. He has just come back so he will improve with games,” he said.
“I’m so happy to be in all competitions despite all the injuries we’ve had. We must be thinking game by game.”
Goalkeeper Joe Hart believes the win at Watford could prove the catalyst for City to go on and reclaim the title.
“We believe it could be our year and that’s what we want to make it happen,” he said.
“We can’t do much about other teams and their results. We have to look after ourselves.
“This win is a big moment for us.”
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Watford were on course for victory after Aleksandar Kolarov headed Ben Watson’s corner into his own net.
But Manchester City had other ideas as Toure and Aguero struck in quick succession to clinch the smash-and-grab win.
“It’s impossible to explain how we lost this match,” Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores said.
“I’m so sorry, so sorry, the players were amazing, so sorry for the fans. We want to win, for us it’s not enough to be in the middle of the Premier League, we have a lot of reasons to be happy, but today we are sad because we want a lot more.
“They have an amazing team, they have amazing players. They have the possibility in two minutes to change the dynamic of the match.
The defensive work of the team was amazing. It was amazing against Chelsea, we concede two, it was amazing against Tottenham, we concede two, it was amazing here that we concede two.”
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Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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