Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Sunday he was not losing control of his players despite their increasingly disappointing form since learning that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

The 1-0 derby defeat at home to Manchester United in the Premier League was City's fifth in 10 games in all competitions, leaving the normally unflappable Pellegrini with an unusually tetchy demeanour when asked about the reasons behind the slump.

The loss not only effectively ended City's title challenge but now also leaves their Champions League place next season, once considered a near-certainty, increasingly in the balance. Fourth-placed City are one point ahead of United and West Ham.

That has led to speculation that the news announced at the start of February that Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola was taking over from the Chilean at the end of the season might have eroded the squad's desire to play for their outgoing boss.

Talking to reporters after Sunday's defeat, though, Pellegrini said: "I don't think I lose any control. If you see the attitude of the team today, (it) reflects they are all involved in what we want to do.

"It is not the best way to finish the season but, I repeat, I am happy with the attitude. All the players are focused in this season and they want to finish as near to the top of the table as we can."

Yet the form of the 2014 champions is faltering alarmingly. They may be the only English team in the Champions League quarter-finals and they won the League Cup but they have taken four points from 18 in their last six Premier League games.

Their tally of 51 points from 30 league matches is by far their most meagre haul in the last five seasons but Pellegrini was not in the mood to examine the reasons why.

"Every season is different," he said. "I think we are talking about the game today. I can't explain. You have the right to ask what you want, I have the right to answer what I want.

"I am not happy with the performance of the team but I don't think we deserved to lose (against United). We dominated the game. We had 26 chances. We missed clear chances to score."