Jose Mourinho believes Manchester City have an obvious advantage in regards to their remaining fixtures in the Premier League title race.
Mourinho’s Chelsea may be leading the table at the moment, but City have a game in hand which, should they win, will see them overtake the Londoners on goal difference. They will also have an extra game to catch up as a result of the Manchester derby being postponed in early March, due to their participation in the League Cup final.
The Portuguese coach believes this is a definite advantage for the 2012 champions, as they will know exactly what is required of them before they take to the field. However, the Stamford Bridge boss knows this is of no fault of Manuel Pellegrini’s club, and accepts this is just unfortunate for him and his players in their pursuit of glory.
“Manchester City play later after the other teams fighting for the title, so it is easier,” he said in the Daily Mirror. “They know somebody lost, somebody won, they lost two points, one point is enough for us. That is obviously an advantage. But it’s not their fault. It’s the weather, the fixtures, the FA, the Premier League, so it’s not their fault.”
City are still on course for the quadruple after knocking Chelsea out of the FA Cup on Sunday, and their attention is currently on the UEFA Champions League in which they face Barcelona on Tuesday. They resume Premier League action with a home match against Stoke City on Saturday, shortly after the Londoners take on Everton in the capital.
Mourinho, meanwhile, has been involved in a spat with Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger in recent days. The Blues coach has accused the Frenchman of being a ‘specialist in failure’, something which has made more than a few headlines of late. And the Gunners boss, speaking after the 2-1 FA Cup win over Liverpool, has now hit back.
“I am embarrassed for him, honestly,” said Wenger. “I am more disappointed for Chelsea than for me. I am not interested in the subject at all, and that is really genuine. If you are interested, and you have nothing better to do in your life, you are free to do it. But honestly, I cannot force my interest in things that are not interesting for me. I love football and I’m sorry to disappoint you, but what interests me is what happens on the pitch.”
