Fired-up Mou renews battle with Conte’s Chelsea
Milner focused on Liverpool results in top-4 hunt
LONDON, April 12, (RTRS): By the time Chelsea walk out at Old Trafford on Sunday their Premier League lead may again have been cut to a slender four points.
For the second weekend running, Antonio Conte’s side kick off after their main pursuers Tottenham Hotspur but, unlike last Saturday when they were always odds-on to restore their advantage by beating Bournemouth, real danger lurks in the form of Manchester United — and exmanager Jose Mourinho.
When the teams last met the Portuguese appeared unusually relaxed, eschewing the regulation collar and tie he always wore as Blues manager for gilet and trainers. But he still ended up squaring up with Conte on the Stamford Bridge touchline during a fractious FA Cup quarter-final that saw Ander Herrera sent off.
Chelsea’s 1-0 win was their second over United this season and although the result was much closer than the 4-0 league drubbing, the chasm that has opened between the teams was clear.
Sunday marks the start of a testing period for United with fixtures against City, Arsenal and Spurs looming, alongside their continuing Europa League campaign.
Mourinho will respond to the workload by rotating his squad. In the process he will highlight one of the big differences between United and Chelsea this season: while the Portuguese has made 85 team changes in his Premier League line-ups, Conte has switched personnel just 31 times, an average of one per game and the fewest in the league.
That consistency has provided the bedrock of their title challenge and Conte can approach Sunday’s game knowing it is Mourinho’s United who must take the initiative on a ground where they have already drawn nine times this season.
Even their wins have often been scratchily unimpressive and Chelsea will set up to play on the counterattack with N’golo Kante prowling and ready to pounce in midfield.
Much has been made of Kante’s impact this season, when he has perfected the art of perfect tackling at a time when referees punish the slightest aberration.
He is expected to be named on the PFA player of the season shortlist along with Eden Hazard later this week.
You can probably bet Paul Pogba’s transfer fee on United’s midfielder not joining them on the six-man shortlist because despite costing 59 million pounds ($73.77 million) more than Kante, he has made a fraction of the impact.
Sunday provides Pogba with the perfect opportunity to make the bigmatch statement that has been lacking for United, who are unbeaten in 21 league games but still 18 points adrift of the leaders in fifth place.
Nothing irks Mourinho more than suggestions that Conte represents the future while he encapsulates the past, a once great manager out of tune with current sensitivities.
But his recent public criticism of Luke Shaw and David de Gea has added to the narrative and he too has something to prove on Sunday. If his brain is really big enough to do Shaw’s thinking for him, as he bizarrely claimed recently, then surely it can come up with a plan to outwit Conte?
Success would hand a huge boost for Spurs, who entertain Bournemouth in Saturday’s early kickoff knowing they can again pile the pressure on Chelsea.
Third-placed Liverpool travel to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger must wait until Monday’s match against Middlesbrough for the chance to silence his detractors and check a disastrous run of four away defeats.
Meanwhile, James Milner is not paying attention to the results of the teams vying with Liverpool and remains confident of a top-four finish for the Anfield side if they can continue their six-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Liverpool have climbed to third in the table with four wins in their last six league games and are two points ahead of fourth-placed Manchester City, who have played one game fewer.
None of Liverpool’s six remaining games are against teams in the top seven and left back Milner has urged his team mates to take advantage of a friendly fixture list.
“The position we are in means it is irrelevant what other teams think and do,” Milner told British media. “We know that if we do the business in our remaining games, it will be good enough I am sure. It is down to us.
“We don’t want to get sidetracked or have to worry about other results. Hopefully, we can take care of business ourselves.”
Milner praised Liverpool’s spirit after they came back from a goal down to beat Stoke City 2-1 last weekend.
“That is one thing that can never be thrown at this squad, that we lack desire and a will to win, and the attitude to come back again. We have done it many times and that belief to keep going and get three points is there,” Milner said.
“We have injuries all over the place, it is that time of the year and you just have to suck it up and keep going ... We just need that consistency really.”
Liverpool next face eighth-placed West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Sunday.
Furthermore, Southampton will look to carry the momentum from securing back-to-back Premier League wins for only the third time this season into Saturday’s home game against Manchester City, manager Claude Puel has said.
Southampton beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at home followed by a 1-0 win at West Bromwich Albion and are currently ninth in the table after four wins in their last six league games.
The south coast side have won two of their last nine league meetings against fourth-placed City, with both victories coming at St Mary’s.
“We know the next game against Manchester City is a strong challenge, a great team, but it’s better to play against Manchester City after two wins, as it gives us confidence,” Puel told the club’s website. (www.southamptonfc.com)
“We play at home and, with the support of the fans, we can do fantastic work against them.”
Puel also urged his team maintain their current form until the end of the season.