Chelsea eye top spot in Premier League
The Portuguese manager has claimed the club will not bring in a new striker during the January transfer window to supplement his current trio of Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba
LONDON, Jan 10, 2014 (AFP) - Jose Mourinho's Chelsea will attempt to increase the pressure on their Premier League title rivals by moving to the head of the table with victory at Hull City on Saturday.
Three points at the KC Stadium will take the Blues ahead of second-placed Manchester City who travel to Newcastle 24 hours later, while current leaders Arsenal visit struggling Aston Villa on Monday.
So Chelsea's time, if any, at the summit may be brief but victory on Humberside would maintain a pleasing run.
Last weekend's FA Cup win at Derby County marked a fourth successive success for a side who've conceded just one goal in their last five outings.
And while Mourinho continues to have concerns about the lack of goals from his forwards, the contribution from midfield has masked the deficiencies up front.
The Portuguese manager has claimed the club will not bring in a new striker during the January transfer window to supplement his current trio of Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba.
But with Ba's Chelsea future looking increasingly uncertain -- his last appearance came in the League Cup quarter-final defeat by Sunderland -- the Senegal forward's departure would almost certainly trigger a move for a replacement.
Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa is one of the highprofile names to have been linked with a move to Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Costa's current team-mate Thibaut Courtois has again questioned his Chelsea future.
The young goalkeeper is midway through his third season-long loan at the Spanish club where his performances have drawn widespread praise, prompting Mourinho to describe the Belgian as the best young keeper in the world.
But Mourinho has also spoken of his current number one Petr Cech as the best in the business. And that has prompted growing frustration on the part of Courtois, who has made it clear he now wants his long term future resolved.
“About my future, I cannot wait much longer.I need to make a decision with Chelsea as soon as possible, in March, but at the moment I do not really want to talk because there are so many games and you must be focused,” he said.
Mourinho began his second spell as Chelsea manager with an opening-day 20 victory over Steve Bruce's Hull side at Stamford Bridge.
But City defender Curtis Davies said the Tigers feared no one at the KC Stadium.