Pearce picks Charlton to survive

Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce is convinced Charlton will survive their relegation dogfight after holding on for a 0-0 draw at Eastlands.

Despite their seemingly hopeless position, Pearce has felt for a while Alan Pardew would guide the Addicks to safety - and the City boss is certain the men from The Valley will not be in the bottom three at the end of the season.

"I said some months ago I didn't think they would be one of the teams that get relegated," said Pearce. "Primarily, to stay in this league you cannot ship goals. Just lately, Charlton have made sure there is a nice structure to their team and they don't concede many goals."

He added: "They also have Darren Bent up front. My centre-halves handled him well but we all know if you switch off for a minute he will score. As long as their defence keep things tight, there is every chance he will get them a goal."

Pearce declared himself satisfied with the point, content City had not been caught by a later sucker punch after dominating most of the contest.

And, after three wins and two draws from their last five games, Charlton boss Pardew is equally content with the way his side are progressing.

"The momentum is with us now," he said. "A few teams around us will be starting to feel a bit nervous now.

"Our destiny is in our own hands because we still have Sheffield United to play at home. I don't think we could have asked for any more than that two months ago."