There will also be some football
MOURINHO, CONTE RESUME HOSTILITIES In-form Liverpool could leapfrog United for at least 24 hours.
Manchester United and Chelsea cross swords this weekend with all eyes on the dugouts after a war of words between Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte and Liverpool could take advantage.
With one or both of the sides guaranteed to drop points at Old Trafford, Juergen Klopp’s team are in a position to pounce, hosting West Ham after a 10-day break following the 5-0 demolition of Porto in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Conte and Mourinho have traded poisonous barbs this season, the pair saying they felt “contempt” for each other.
The feud started when the United boss said he did not need to “act like a clown” on the touchline, a comment perceived to be aimed at the animated Conte, who responded by claiming Mourinho must have “demenza senile” – senile dementia.
When Mourinho then appeared to allude to a suspension Conte served in relation to match-fixing, the Italian, who was later cleared of any wrongdoing, responded by accusing his rival of being “fake” and “a little man”.
United recently appeared secure in second place in the Premier League, albeit a distant second to Manchester City, but two defeats in three games leave Mourinho’s side looking vulnerable with matches against four of the top six sides still to come, including Chelsea in fourth spot.
Liverpool have the chance to leapfrog second-placed Manchester United, at least temporarily, when they host West Ham today.
The club are riding high after smashing Porto 5-0 in the Champions League and will strongly fancy their chances of qualifying for next year’s competition with a Premier League run-in full of winnable fixtures.
“It’s really hard at the moment to make the squad,” Klopp told the club’s TV channel. “I’ve never had a situation like that with the quality of the players not being in the squad.
“It’s difficult, it’s getting more and more difficult, but that’s good for us of course,” he added.
After the West Ham game, Liverpool have only 10 league matches left and with the exception of Manchester United and Chelsea, all of those games are against teams in ninth place or below.
Bottom side West Brom must win to maintain realistic hopes of survival when they host Huddersfield, who sit one place above the drop zone, seven points clear of Alan Pardew’s team.
The Baggies’ woe on the pitch was exacerbated when four senior players were questioned by Spanish police over allegations they stole a taxi after a night out in Barcelona earlier this month.
As a result Jonny Evans was stripped of the captain’s armband for last weekend’s FA Cup defeat to Southampton.
But Pardew confirmed the former Manchester United defender will return as captain for the visit of the Terriers. – AFP
Today:
Leicester v Stoke, Bournemouth v Newcastle, Brighton v Swansea, Burnley v Southampton, Liverpool v West Ham, West Brom v Huddersfield, Watford v Everton
Tomorrow:
Crystal Palace v Tottenham, Manchester United v Chelsea.