Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes that a period of time in exile was good for goalkeeper Joe Hart.

The England number one received plaudits for his performance in Saturday's 3-2 win over Everton.

However, back in October, the shot-stopper was dropped for a length of time following a number of blunders.

"The second round of Joe has been a very good performance," the Manchester Evening News quotes Pellegrini as saying.

"One of the good things that we did this year was to talk to him and sit him [out] some games because he was in a very bad moment but he reacted as a professional player, the number one in England."

City are favourites to clinch the Premier League title ahead of Liverpool due to their superior goal difference and game in hand over the Reds.