Chelsea will be hoping to match Manchester City’s bid as title favorites when the two sides clash at the Etihad Stadium on Monday. PHOTO: AFP
City, having already plundered 115 goals in all competitions this season, are widely seen as the country’s outstanding team.
While Mourinho has repeatedly drawn a distinction between his supposedly embryonic team and Manuel Pellegrini’s ‘finished product’, Chelsea beat City 2-1 when they met at Stamford Bridge in October.
City are a vastly different prospect on home turf, however, having won all 11 of their league matches at the Etihad, where they score goals at a rate of close to four per game.
While Mourinho’s tactics tend to be more cautious, Pellegrini refuses to criticise the approach taken by the opposite manager.
“I don’t know which way Chelsea will play,” he said. “They have their own style of play. Maybe it’s not the same style that I like, but everyone can play the way they want.”
Chelsea’s chances of victory appear to have been enhanced by the news that City’s top scorer, Sergio Aguero, will miss the game. However, Alvaro Negredo is fit again after a shoulder injury, while fellow striker Edin Dzeko has scored seven goals in his last six appearances.
Chelsea, meanwhile, could hand a debut to winger Mohamed Salah, who completed an £11 million move from Swiss side Basel last weekend.
“We all know that it’s going to be a difficult game, but we beat them at home, even if that was also a tough match,” said Chelsea midfielder Ramires.
“Despite the fact it will be difficult, a victory there would be very sweet and we are going to give our very best.”
Toure’s howler costs Liverpool victory at West Brom
A schoolboy howler by defender Kolo Toure cost Liverpool victory when he gifted West Bromwich Albion the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns on Sunday.
His mistake came after 67 minutes when he played a loose ball straight across his own 18-yard line to substitute Victor Anichebe standing unmarked on the edge of the box, allowing him to fire past Simon Mignolet.
Toure could only hold his head in his hands after his dreadful defending which enabled Albion to grab a point from the match Liverpool largely dominated.
Liverpool had gone ahead in the 24th minute after Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez linked up on the right of the penalty area with the Uruguayan crossing to the far post where Daniel Sturridge tapped home.
Moyes defiant as United’s top-four bid falters
Manchester United manager David Moyes had no concerns about his side’s performance despite the champions suffering their eighth defeat of the season at Stoke City.
Charlie Adam scored twice, either side of a Robin van Persie equaliser, to secure the Potters’ first league win over United since 1984 and seriously hinder their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
But the United manager was unperturbed by his side’s 2-1 loss, which was their fourth defeat of 2014 in all competitions.
“The performance was really good,” he said. “We played well, so I don’t think the question about a poor performance is right.
“We made numerous opportunities I thought we were the team more likely [to win] and I thought on the day we did enough to certainly get something from the game.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2014.
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