They’re lost at ’Sea
Chelsea won’t be running away with the Premier League title this season. That much is clear. The question now is whether the defending EPL champs will implode before the calendar turns to September. Jose Mourinho called Manchester City’s convincing 3-0 win at the Etihad on Sunday a “fake” result, but the controversial manager has watched his team start its title defense with a home draw to Swansea City and a road loss to the 2014 league champs, who look stronger than ever.
“The best team in the first half won the game. The best team in the second half was Chelsea for sure,” Mourinho told Sky Sports. “We had a difficult first half, we didn’t create a lot and our goalkeeper made a few important saves.
“Second half everything was different. If the 1-0 was a doubtful result at minute 70, 3-0 is completely fake. At 1-0 Chelsea were the best team for the whole second half. They make a change because they feel 1-0 is in danger and we concede a second goal. If 1-1 a different story, their team is in trouble.”
The team in trouble is Chelsea, and most of its problems have been created by the manager. Following last week’s draw, Mourinho criticized and then demoted club doctor Eva Carneiro for simply treating midfielder Eden Hazard in the closing minutes. Carneiro was simply doing her job and in fact had been summoned to the field by the head referee.
On Sunday, when Chelsea’s training staff tended to Gary Cahill in the first half, the Man City fans responded with a mock cheer and began chanting “Eva, Eva.” Cahill had suffered a bloody nose but he was not the Chelsea defender removed at halftime.
Instead, Mourinho made another curious decision when he replaced Chelsea captain John Terry with Zurt Zouma. Terry had made 177 starts and had never been substituted for under Mourinho in the Premier League.
“It was just a decision,” Mourinho said. “I know that Zouma is the fastest defender we have in the squad and in that moment Man City is going to play counter attack.
“So if somebody has the free mind and are right to have these kind of decisions as a manager, I am the one because I am the one who gave him the chance to be what he is, which is a fantastic player and fantastic captain.
“I left him out because tactically I have to make a change and when you make changes, sometimes you are right and sometimes you are wrong, I think I was proven right because we controlled the depth of the game and the counter attack.”
Well, not exactly. Man City scored twice in the second half, with Vincent Kompany heading in a corner kick and Fernandinho converting a giveaway into a 20-yard rocket.
“Everybody knows in this moment that 1-0 was the result they wanted to keep and were in trouble to keep,” Mourinho added. “The second goal is completely out of the context but it was our mistake. We couldn’t capitalize on the second half.”
Chelsea also couldn’t handle Sergio Aguero, who scored Man City’s first goal and was sensational all afternoon. Also, Kompany, the physical center back who has scored in consecutive weeks, shut down Chelsea striker/ chronic complainer Diego Costa.
WAKE-UP CALLS
The two Sunday Premier League matches could have been dramatically altered had the respective referees made the proper calls.
Man City’s Fernandinho challenged Costa for a high ball and struck Costa with an elbow to the back of the head that drew blood.
“In my opinion Fernandinho should be a red card,” Mourinho said.
Fernandinho was given a yellow card and was then confronted by Costa on the way to the locker room at halftime.
“It’s normal. It is the battle of the game,” Fernandinho said. “I tried to win the ball in the air with my head, there was a small shock. That happens in football. The most important was the three points.”
Earlier, in Arsenal’s 2-1 win at Crystal Palace, the Gunners’ Francis Coquelin somehow avoided receiving a second yellow card from referee Lee Mason after Coquelin made no attempt for the ball and shoved Wilfried Zaha to the ground.
BARCELONA BEAT-DOWN
If Chelsea’s early struggles are good for the Premier League, the same can be said of Barcelona and the rest of European football.
The defending La Liga and Champions League champs lost, 4-0, to Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup after conceding four goals in a 5-4 win against Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup.
Barcelona’s main rival, Real Madrid, is on the verge of signing 21-year-old Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Inter Milan. Kovacic was pulled from a friendly with AEK Athens on Sunday. Once the move is complete, Real may move Karim Benzema to Arsenal and Isco to Manchester City, which is reportedly close to adding Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi.
SINKING SUNDERLAND
Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat met with his team on Sunday in the wake of Saturday’s disheartening 3-1 home loss to newly promoted Norwich. Sunderland opened league play with a 4-2 defeat to Leicester City.
“It was even worse than last week,” Advocaat said. “We have to discuss with the players how we go on. We have to find the solution, because otherwise we have no chance.”
Bayern Munich has rejected two bids from Manchester United to acquire Thomas Muller, who has clashed with manager Pep Guardiola and wants to join his Germany teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger to Old Trafford. The Sunday Express is also reporting that Arsenal has expressed interest in Bayern’s Mario Gotze, who scored the World Cup winner two summers ago in Brazil.
Tottenham, which wasted a 2-0 secondhalf lead at home and drew with Stoke City, travels to unbeaten Leicester City on Saturday. Also, Everton, which was impressive in a 3-0 win at Southampton, faces first place Man City on Sunday at Goodison Park.