Mourinho admits Chelsea were superior
LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho admitted that his old club Chelsea were superior as his side’s revival came to a shuddering halt in a dispiriting 2-0 Premier League derby defeat.
The Portuguese has suffered two defeats in the six league games he has been in charge of Spurs since replacing Mauricio Pochettino – and both have come against former clubs.
Manchester United were the first to blot his copybook with a 2-1 win earlier this month at Old Trafford, but this home defeat by Chelsea, the club he led to three Premier League titles, was much more worrying, underlining the task he has taken on.
Mourinho had never lost a home match against a previous club in any competition, winning 12 and drawing one, but his former midfielder Frank Lampard totally outwitted his old mentor in the coaching stakes as his Chelsea side dominated throughout.
Tottenham could have leapfrogged their London rivals into fourth with a win, but they self-destructed with a pitiful display.
It left Tottenham seventh, six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, and a quick response is required if the optimism of Mourinho’s start is not to vanish before the New Year has been rung in. “They were better than us in the first half. It is not difficult for me to admit it,” Mourinho told reporters.
“They played in a system they are very comfortable with.
“A system they played for two years with Antonio Conte. Lots of their players are very comfortable with it.
“It’s easy for me to admit they were superior. But you look to the goals and they are not a consequence of any superiority.
“The first goal is a short corner with a big mistake.
“We know how to defend short corners, we train how to deal with short corners. The players involved were not focused.”