SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2014 Arsenal the Mourinho plays down Champions? Chelsea EPL title talk By Ahmad Al Othman COBHAM: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insisted yesterday the club rush for more success. “We are not desperate to win the title, I keep saying ore than a few eyebrows have been raised by were “not desperate to win the title” this season, saying he the same,” he told reporters at the club’s training ground yesterday. was more concerned about long-term success. And ahead of his side’s “We want to build a team for the future, find a transition between the Arsenal’s impressive league start to the match at home to Manchester United today, he said there was “no reason” Chelsea of the last decade and Chelsea of the next decade. But we will try M2013/2014 season. The consistency shown by for Red Devils manager David Moyes to be in trouble, despite the champi- to fight for the title until the end.” The Portuguese added: “Everyone’s the Gunners side has surely satisfied its faithful support- ons’ faltering form. Chelsea head into this weekend’s matches in third place, going to lose matches I believe. “Let’s see what is going to happen unless ers and attracted the attention of the footballing world. just two points behind leaders Arsenal. United, however, are 11 points off Man City (currently a point behind Arsenal in second place) win every Down the years, Arsenal fans have been trying to urge top spot and nine adrift of Chelsea. Mourinho, who guided Chelsea to back- game and kill everyone with 20 points difference.” the club’s top hierarchy to capture the superstars of the to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 in his first spell at Stamford Bridge, returned Were United to lose at Stamford Bridge today it would be another blow to the London club before this season. But he was adamant he was in no to their hopes of Moyes defending the title won by former United manager modern game, and a few would argue that the signing Alex Ferguson in his final season before retirement. Yet while many have of German star Mezut Ozil doesn’t fall into this category. sympathized with Moyes in having to follow Ferguson, British football’s The Turkish descendant magician is second to only most successful manager, Mourinho said his rival manager was in an envi- Wayne Rooney in the assists chart and has an 87.7% able position. “I said before, I don’t think there’s a reason to have sympathy. passing success rate, and judging by Olivier Giroud’s He has a fantastic job and is very, very stable. “The club gave him an incredi- goal tally, it’s obvious to notice the effect he had. It has ble trust when they chose him to be the next United manager after Sir Alex. “They believe in the power of the manager, the support of the man- been nearly a decade of an empty closet when it comes ager. It’s not because they had a couple of bad results and aren’t top of down to the North London side, and the fans have been the league, as they normally are,” Mourinho explained. “There’s no rea- patient enough and won’t consider another droughtful son for David to be in trouble. He’s very stable. He will have at least the season. It has been widely suggested that this Arsenal time of his contract to build a team, to reach success, and to be there for starting eleven is probably the strongest since their many years. I don’t think he needs sympathy. He has a fantastic job and move to the Emirates, adding more to the pressure. no problems.” Asked to account for the differences between Chelsea and United’s In addition to Ozil’s transfer, the Arsenal back four is results this season, Mourinho said: “No two seasons are the same. Some looking as good as it gets, with the team conceding just teams improve. Others don’t. “Some players have a phenomenal season 19 goals, a statistic matched by only Chelsea and one season, then injuries or don’t perform the next. Some players have Everton. Prior to his recent injury, Welsh wizard Aaron problems with managers or playing. “Globally, our team is a better team. Ramsey was finally starting to fulfill the potential every- It improved not just in terms of what we do in the present, but especially one predicted six years ago, and won everyone’s plau- Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho in terms of what we’re building to build the future. —AFP dits by raising his game. If he continues to show this sort of consistency, then he’ll surely be a candidate for Player EPL Preview of the Season award. As we’re through with the festive period and enter the second half of the season, the race for the trophy is United to show their backbone at Chelsea starting to get as fierce and open as it has ever been in many years, with as much as seven teams still compet- LONDON: Having stemmed a run of three Walcott, Mikel Arteta, and working for a number of months on possi- straight defeats by beating Swansea City last Thomas Vermaelen for the visit of Fulham, bilities which can strengthen the team ing to be champions come next May. The Arsenal faith- Saturday, Manchester United will look to while Nacho Monreal and Nicklas Bendtner and we need to see how that goes over ful have never been more assured of a title winning side provide further evidence of their backbone are doubtful, but he believes he has enough the next couple of weeks. “I’m not con- since their move from Highbury eight years ago. Experts at Chelsea this weekend. The 2-0 win over alternatives.”In midfield we have plenty of cerned. The owners have been great in of the game are questioning Arsene Wenger side’s abili- Swansea enabled United to avenge their FA quality players who you can rotate easily terms of if there is something there to be ty to hold into such ranking until the finishing line, but Cup elimination by the Welsh club a week without really feeling, ‘Today we are weak- done that will help us, then I am sure they this group have the privilege to prove otherwise. earlier, but victories for all the teams above er,’” Wenger said. “I would say, purely on the will support that.” Monday’s game sees As the end of the January transfer window looms them meant they remained 11 points off the football front, it’s true that we only have Spaniard Pepe Mel take charge of his first pace in the Premier League. When the sides excellent players in every position and that game as manager of West Bromwich closer and closer, Wenger surely has a player or two in met in August, drawing 0-0 at Old Trafford, allows you to have different types of teams Albion, with high-flying Everton the visi- mind. The fans would demand another star signing, but the season was only a week old, but while that can really be efficient.” tors to The Hawthorns. —AFP Wenger might argue that this current bunch of players champions United have floundered since Second-placed Manchester City gave yet requires only one back-up striker short of the last piece then, Chelsea are riding high in third place another demonstration of their awesome of the puzzle. Giroud has been the main man in attack, ahead of Sunday’s encounter. strike power in a 5-0 thrashing of Blackburn but surely Wenger is too wise not be over-dependent The London club have already dis- Rovers in the FA Cup in mid-week, which Matches on TV patched Manchester City and Liverpool at took their goal tally for the season to 99. on the Frenchman. Stamford Bridge this season and have never They will be expected to bring up triple fig- (Local Timings) With the return of Lukas Podolski from a long-term lost at home in the league under manager ures at home to third-bottom Cardiff City hamstring injury, and the availability of Nicklas Jose Mourinho, but United today and Sergio Aguero, who returned ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Bendtner, doubts have been raised on the former’s fit- Darren Fletcher is undaunted. “We are from an injury lay-off against Blackburn, says Sunderland v Southampton 15:45 ness and the form of the latter respectively. Theo expected to win every game and it doesn’t they will not take their foot off the pedal. “I beIN SPORTS 1 Walcott is another who can play in that position, but matter if it is Swansea at home or Chelsea think we are doing very well. We have beIN SPORTS 1 HD away-it is viewed as a disaster if we don’t improved a lot since the beginning of the unfortunately for him he is not expected to participate Arsenal v Fulham 18:00 win,” the Scottish midfielder told the United season,” said the Argentine striker, who had beIN SPORTS 1 anymore this season due to the knee injury he suffered website. spent a month on the sidelines with a calf beIN SPORTS 1 HD against Tottenham Hotspur. Yaya Sanogo was another “We will treat it like we do with every oth- problem. “We must keep working like that. Liverpool v Aston Villa 20:30 Frenchman snached by Wenger last summer on a free er game. We will go to win. We know it is a We are all playing very well. We are building beIN SPORTS 1 transfer, but the youngster has yet to see any signs of great challenge going to Chelsea, but we a great team and we need to continue trying beIN SPORTS 1 HD playing time and is deemed one for the future. can take some confidence from the Swansea to score more goals.” game and we are fully confident of going Liverpool will look to maintain their ITALIAN LEAGUE Schalke’s Julian Draxler and Fulham Striker Dimitar down there and getting more of the recent momentum when they host Villa, AS Roma v AS Livorno 20:00 Berbatov had been touted in the press as the appropri- same.”Leaders Arsenal displayed the sort of having responded to successive losses at beIN SPORTS 3 ate targets during the transfer period, and the 32 year nerve required to mount a sustained title City and Chelsea over Christmas with back- beIN SPORTS - 3 HD old Bulgarian striker may get tempted as he seeks to challenge when they won 2-1 at Aston Villa to-back wins against Hull City and Stoke City. Juventus v Sampdoria 22:45 play in the Champions League and give it a shot one last on Monday evening, having seen all of their Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has yet beIN SPORTS 3 time at the top tier of football before calling time on his title rivals win over the previous weekend. to make any moves in the January transfer beIN SPORTS - 3 HD playing career. The question still remains, can this Arsenal welcome relegation-threatened window, but with Steven Gerrard and Daniel Fulham to the today and Sturridge having returned from injury in the Spanish League Arsenal side win a trophy after 9 forgettable years and manager Arsene Wenger has been eager to 5-3 win at Stoke, he is relaxed about the situ- Real Betis v Real Madrid 18:00 give their fans a jubilation they have been seeking all play down injury concerns surrounding his ation. beIN SPORTS 2 those years? side. “There are no real developments yet,” beIN SPORTS 2 HD The Frenchman will be without Theo he said on Thursday. “We have been