Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes that his players benefitted from their absence in any competitive match in midweek during their victory over Chelsea on Saturday.

The Citizens got the better of the Blues 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

"It was very important for us not to play," BBC Sport quotes the Chilean as saying. "We were not fresh after 18 games in two months.

"But in training on Thursday and Friday we were fresh again. I knew then we would have a good day against Chelsea."

Stevan Jovetic and Samir Nasri scored for City against Chelsea.