‘Happy players are doing the job’
I ENJOY VERY MUCH THAT COMMITMENT Both Manchester clubs playing with a great deal of freedom.
Jose Mourinho says Manchester United’s dynamic start to their Premier League title challenge has been fuelled by the feel-good factor among his forwards.
Mourinho’s side head to Southampton today in confident mood after reeling off four wins from their first five league games.
United have already scored 16 times in the league, netting a further seven in the Champions League and League Cup.
It is a goal spree that must have seemed unimaginable last season when United’s strikers were repeatedly held in check in a series of drab draws at Old Trafford.
With Romelu Lukaku scoring seven since his close-season move from Everton and Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial also among the goals, United look capable of winning the title for the first time since 2013.
Mourinho believes the key has been his forwards playing with a more positive attitude this season.
“I think everybody in attacking areas gave a good dynamic to the team and especially happiness. We look happy playing football at this moment and that’s what I want,” he said.
“They all want to play, they are all ready to play, they all want to use the minutes they have on the pitch to try and improve.
“I enjoy very much that commitment, that pleasure in the game.”
Only Manchester City have been able to match United’s goal blitz, with Pep Guardiola’s side sitting above Mourinho’s men on alphabetical order after compiling an identical record.
Chelsea head to Stoke today aiming to keep pace with City and United.
Last weekend’s goalless draw against Arsenal left the thirdplaced champions three points adrift of the early pacesetters.
Even so, it’s been a good week for Blues boss Antonio Conte, with a League Cup thrashing of Nottingham Forest followed by news that Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal to sign Diego Costa.
Conte cast Costa into exile at the end of last season after the pair fell out over the striker’s attempts to engineer a transfer, sparking a deluge of negative publicity about Chelsea’s handling of the problem.
Liverpool return to Leicester just days after being dumped out of the League Cup by the Foxes.
Juergen Klopp’s side have gone four games without a win in all competitions and the Reds boss admits there are problems to resolve.
“Yes we have problems. We can make it more serious than it is or we can take it like it is,” he said.
Arsene Wenger insists there is no ulterior motive to starting Alexis Sanchez only in Arsenal’s less significant fixtures.
Sanchez was a surprise starter in Arsenal’s League Cup win over Doncaster and also featured in last week’s Europa League opener against Cologne.
Yet the Chilean forward still hasn’t started a Premier League game this term.
Given Sanchez was close to leaving last month and is out of contract at the end of the season, it had been claimed Wenger was making a point by using him with the reserves. – AFP
Today:
Burnley v Huddersfield, Everton v Bournemouth, Leicester v Liverpool, Manchester City v Crystal Palace, Southampton v Manchester United, Stoke v Chelsea, Swansea v Watford, West Ham v Tottenham
Tomorrow: Monday:
Brighton v Newcastle Arsenal v West Brom