Premier League: Chelsea halt City’s title charge
MANCHESTER CITY 0 vs CHELSEA 1
Mourinho credits club masseur for inspiring victory
CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho revealed a team-talk from masseur Billy McCulloch inspired last night’s victory against their title rivals.
Branislav Ivanovic’s first-half strike was enough to move Chelsea level on points with second-placed City, and two behind leaders Arsenal, as Manuel Pellegrini saw his team drop points at home for the first time in his tenure.
Chelsea were unfortunate not to extend their margin of victory, frustrated by the woodwork three times, while City were made to look a shadow of their previously all-conquering selves as they failed to score in a home league match for the first time since November 2010.
But Mourinho played down his role in the victory, instead insisting the credit lied with an unlikely source.
“I didn’t speak to the team, it was Billy the masseur who spoke to them,” said Mourinho. “He was screaming so much in a Scottish accent, going grrr, grrr, grrr. I didn’t understand, but the players were clapping so they must have got it.
“This is a very important step. I want to start pre-season to say ‘this season we are going to compete directly with the best’, for now we cannot do that.
“We are there but we are not favourites. It’s very important because it’s not good for the evolution of the team to be 10 or 15 points behind the leaders. We need big things, these kind of matches with pressure. We played fantastically against a fantastic team.”
City started brightest, but Yaya Toure and David Silva both failed to hit the target with first-time shots at the end of slick passing moves.
Chelsea missed a gilt-edged chance to take the lead when a misplaced pass from Alvaro Negredo sparked a counter attack, ending with Ramires forcing a fine reaction save from Joe Hart.
City failed to heed their warning and on 32 minutes Ivanovic struck. Ramires saw an effort bravely blocked by Vincent Kompany but the loose ball was fired in from the edge of the box by the Serbia defender.
A minute before half-time Samuel Eto’o thundered a shot against the near post, while shortly after the interval midfielder Nemanja Matic, making his first Premier League start, saw a long-range strike cannon away off Hart’s near post.
The visitors were denied by the post again in the final quarter of the match when Gary Cahill headed Willian’s corner against the woodwork.
City finally imposed themselves on Chelsea in the last 15 minutes, but goalkeeper Petr Cech was on hand to push over David Silva’s free-kick and then denied substitute Stevan Jovetic in added on time.