Man City are "lucky" says Jose Mourinho

Manchester City are lucky to be top of the league - Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho



Jose Mourinho says Manchester City are lucky to be top of the League, claiming they have benefited from poor decisions by match officials.

Chelsea are three points behind City in the title race and on Monday night they will play them at Etihad Stadium, where Manuel Pellegrini’s side boast a 100 per cent record.

Mourinho has praised the quality of City’s squad but feels many key moments have gone their way.

They won 5-1 at Tottenham on Wednesday after Danny Rose was controversially sent off and had a penalty awarded against him when the score was just 1-0, while Liverpool and Newcastle have also felt aggrieved in recent weeks.


Flash point: Mourinho believes Manchester City have been fortunate to benefit from decisions such as the sending off of Danny Rose on Wednesday

“I think they have everything,” said the Chelsea manager. “But on top of that, and I want to make it very clear that, for me, it’s just a coincidence and nothing else, the reality is they have many crucial decisions in their favour. They are lucky.

“Against Liverpool, the Raheem Sterling ‘goal’. The penalty on Luis Suarez. Against Newcastle the goal that is a clear goal. Against Tottenham, Michael Dawson’s goal, the penalty, the red card. They are having everything.

“The referees try to do their best and normally during the season the mistakes are split. But at the moment they have everything in their favour.

“The players are very good. Even with very good players, if the manager is not good, you don’t do it. So the manager also has to do good work.”

 Mourinho has also dismissed the claims of Tottenham coach Tim Sherwood that City, who have scored 115 goals this term, are the best team in the world.

He added: “Maybe, for the Tottenham manager, the planet is England. You will see in the Champions League [who the best is]. You will see in a couple of months.”

Chelsea completed the £12.4m signing of Saint Etienne defender Kurt Zouma on deadline day on a five-and-a-half year contract. Zouma will spend the rest of the campaign on loan back at the French club.

City striker Sergio Aguero was on Friday ruled out for a month due to a hamstring injury meaning he will miss games against Chelsea and Barcelona.