Mourinho only has eyes for the Villa game
Jose Mourinho is not allowing his focus to dr i ft beyond today’s game with Aston Villa as Tottenham enter a pivotal week in their season.
Spurs head to Villa Park today for the first of three matches in six days following the resumption after the winter break. Mourinho has moaned widely about the scheduling ove r this afternoon’s game considering they are in Champions League action against RB Leipzig on Wednesday night and then face a massive test in their pursuit of the Premier League top four by visiting Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime. But the trip to the second city is Mourinho’s primary concern. He said: “It’s a very difficult week for us, and then of course we would like to play Chelsea on the Sunday after Leipzig, but not on Saturday. “And we would like to play Saturday 5pm, but instead we play at 12 o’clock.
“So it’s a really hard week for us – Sunday Villa, Wednesday Leipzig, Saturday Chelsea. But l et’s go match after match, and the first one will be difficult. Always difficult Villa Park.
“Villa are a good team, fighting to stay in the division, self- esteem really high after reaching the Wembley final.
“Very difficult match, we have to go with all the potential we have, forgetting that two days after we have to play Leipzig.”
Steve Bruce has admitted he would not have expected Newcastle and Arsenal to head into the final third of the season separated only by goal difference.
The Gunners currently sit in 10th place in the table as one of four teams, along with Burnley, the Magpies and Southampton, to have taken 31 points from their opening 25 games.
Tha may reflect A r s e n a l ’s underachievement as much as it does Newcastle’s resilience, but Bruce is convinced it proves how testing the English top flight is as the sides prepare to meet at the Emirates today.
Asked if he could have envisaged the situation after the Gunners won 1- 0 at St James’ Park during the opening weekend of the campaign, he said: “Well, I didn’t think we’d be on level points, I have to tell you that.
“And I didn’t think we’d win two more games than Arsenal, I would have to say.
“But it is the Premier League and it is what it is, and even a mighty club like Arsenal are in – is transition the right word? Different style, different manager, so it shows you how difficult it is even at a big club like Arsenal to change and turnaround.”
t