Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
But Conte isn’t getting too excited, saying it’s just another three-point chance
CHELSEA manager Antonio Conte refused to give extra significance to tomorrow’s Premier League clash at Manchester United, saying his team were just focused on picking up another three points to maintain their lead at the top.
Second-placed Tottenham Hotspur are seven points adrift in their relentless pursuit of Chelsea, having picked up six consecutive league wins, and will look to provisionally close the gap to four points when they host Bournemouth today.
Conte reckons the title race will continue right until the end of the season.
“I think this game is like any other game and for us the most important thing is the three points,” the Italian manager told a news conference yesterday.
“This (title) was our target at the start of the season. For sure the road is long and there are other teams who want to win the title and I think for this reason it will be tense until the end of the season.”
United manager José Mourinho will field a strong side tomorrow despite the game being sandwiched between the two-legged Europa League quarter- final against Anderlecht.
Fifth-placed United are four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, with a game in hand, and need to finish in the top four or win the Europa League to make the Champions League.
“For sure we will face a really strong team because Manchester United are a really good team, physically and technically very strong, and for this reason we must pay great attention,” Conte added.
“United also want to play and find a place in next season’s Champions League and arrive in the first four and I think they have every possibility to do this.”
United are on a 21-game unbeaten league run since losing 4-0 in October at Chelsea, who have the best away record in the league, having lost just twice in 16 games this season.
● United attacking midfielder Juan Mata is likely to miss the remainder of the season following a groin injury, manager Mourinho has said.
The 28- year- old Spanish international had surgery last month and Mourinho told the club website ( www. manutd. com) yesterday that he would not be fit until “late May.”
The final Premier League games are scheduled for May 21, with the Europa League final, should United reach it, being played in Stockholm three days later.
Mourinho also said central defenders Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, who were injured on international duty with England last month, will not return to the squad until mid-May.
The pairing of Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo have been at the heart of the defence in the absence of the English duo and the Portuguese boss is concerned with their accumulation of fatigue.
“There is nothing I can do (about the current defensive situation),” said Mourinho. “They (Bailly and Rojo) have to go until the limits.
“If we arrived in a situation in the Premier League ... where mathematically the top four is not possible, then it’s an easy decision ... rest them and go with them in the Europa League, if we are still in the competition.”
Mourinho, who led Chelsea to three league titles in two stints at Stamford Bridge, said he was impressed by their style of play under Conte.
“They (Chelsea) are top for some reasons – it’s not just because they are fresh,” he added. “It is also because they have individual quality ... collective quality. They have a certain style of play. They stick to it.”
● Liverpool, battling hard to secure a Champions League berth, still have big ambitions for this season but no specific Premier League points target, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of tomorrow's tricky visit to West Bromwich Albion.
Sitting third in the table having played more games than the chasing Manchester clubs in fourth and fifth, Liverpool are on a six-match unbeaten run but have not won a league match at The Hawthorns since 2011.
“No, I don’t think about this (points target). The challenge of West Brom is big enough,” he told journalists. “West Brom have played an outstanding season, and we know about their qualities.
“But we’ve nothing else to do, so we go there and we want to show again that we have really big targets this season. We want to go for it and we’ll really fight for the result.”
Central to the cause – as well as the team’s bid for the top- four finish that would guarantee Champions League football next season – will be midfielder Philippe Coutinho and striker Roberto Firmino.
The dynamic Brazilian duo have been directly involved in 31 of the club’s 68 goals this season and their latest contributions came last Saturday, when both came off the bench to score in a 2-1 away win over Stoke City.
“They had a big impact on the game, but the whole team played better in the second half,” Klopp said. It’s about fitting in the game, fitting in the team.”
Injured midfielders Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson are ruled out of the trip to The Hawthorns but both are expected to return before the end of the season. – Reuters