Mourinho’s magic has helped to set us free says Dier
●Man City are now 14 points behind leaders Liverpool; in English top-flight history, no side has gone on to win the title after being as many as 14 points behind the leaders at the end of a day.
●This is Pep Guardiola’s worst points return (32) after the first 16 matches of a top-flight season in his managerial career.
●Guardiola has lost two home league games in a season for only the third time in his career (2014-15 with Bayern Munich and 2008-09 with Barcelona).
●Marcus Rashford’s 13 goals this season equals his previous best in a season for United already after just 21 games (13 goals in 47 games in 2018-19; 13 in 52 in 2017-18). ●Manchester United have taken (8) and scored (4) more penalties in the Premier League this season than any other side.
PEP GUARDIOLA fears the gap between Manchester City and Europe’s elite may have widened after all but conceding the Premier League crown.
Defeat in the Manchester derby left City 14 points behind leaders Liverpool.
But with the Champions League now the main priority, it is the distance to the biggest teams in Europe that is a growing concern for Guardiola.
“United have the quality to defend and the quality to attack on the counter and you have to accept that,” he said.
“That is the level we face against Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus – those are the teams we have to face and the reality is maybe we are not able now to compete with them.
“Maybe we need to live that as a club to improve, to accept the reality now.”
Guardiola was asked whether retaining the title was now no longer possible, given the huge lead held by Liverpool.
He said: “We have to keep fighting until the end. It is difficult but we have to keep trying.
“We are at the beginning of December.We have other competitions to play and other games to fight and improve on that, and maybe it is going to help us for the future.”
ERIC DIER hinted that spending too long under the charge of Mauricio Pochettino had left Tottenham’s players feeling trapped.
Furthermore, Jose Mourinho’s arrival has been a breath of fresh air, unlocking the “freedom” the side showed in sweeping aside Burnley with a five-goal drubbing at White Hart Lane.
Two goals from Harry Kane together with efforts from Lucas Moura and Mousa Sissoko joined a world-class 80-yard solo effort from Son Heung-Min in making Burnley’s third successive defeat an emphatic one.
It lifted a side Mourinho inherited in
14th place, briefly at least, back into the top five.And all he did was hit the reset button
– although it helps if you happen to speak the same language.
“Of course, you start from scratch with someone,” Dier said. “It is very different. There is no history and a freedom in that.
“We have spoken a lot – both in English and Portuguese! His mentality appeals to me and it is very special. Having grown up in Portugal, to go from what he was doing at the time to now be playing under him is very special.
“It is natural that we have that connection but it is nothing more than that and up to me to perform.”
After scoring a contender for the greatest goal in Spurs’ history, Son admitted he had never heard of Ricky Villa.
Some fans immediately drew comparisons with Son’s 32nd-minute effort and Argentinian Villa’s mazy FA Cup-winning goal from 1981. But the perplexed 27-yearold said, “Who?” when asked if he knew about the Tottenham legend.
“I’ve never seen that goal. But it is an honour to have this goal compared to historic goals,” said Son, who collected the ball outside his own area and outstripped six Burnley defenders before slotting past Nick Pope. “Growing up, my hero was Park Ji-Sung when he was at Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo was my idol. But it’s unfair to compare me with legends like that.”
Burnley have conceded 20 goals in their past eight games and defender Erik Pieters says the players need an emergency pep talk ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Newcastle.
“After three defeats you have to look at yourself and we must have a little chat with each other,” he said. “It’s simple details that go wrong. They were clinical but we can’t make those mistakes.”
TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga 6; Aurier 6 (Skipp 80), Alderweireld 6, Sanchez 7, Vertonghen 6; Sissoko 7, Dier 7; Moura 6 (Sessegnon 75), Alli 7 (Parrott 85), Son 9; Kane 8. Goals: Kane 4, 54, Moura 9, Son 32, Sissoko 74.
BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 6; Lowton 6, Tarkowski 6, Mee 5, Pieters 5; Brady 6 (Lennon 71), Hendrick 6, Cork 6, McNeil 7; Rodriguez 6, Wood 6 (Vydra 65, 5).