‘City must chase Arsenal’

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes the pressure is on Manchester City to lead the way in this season’s Premier League title race.
Mourinho thinks that there are six contenders to win the championship, but he has warned Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur that they could find themselves cut adrift if they allow the gap to leaders Arsenal to grow.

And while the Portuguese insists there are no clear favourites, he feels that the strength of City’s squad gives Manuel Pellegrini’s side an advantage.

“I keep saying the same. I don’t think we can speak about favourites but we can say that one team is top of the league and some are a little bit far, but I keep thinking that all six teams are title contenders,” he said yesterday.

“But I keep saying that the team with more responsibilities to win it because their squad is quite unique is Manchester City.”

United and Tottenham, however, are well off the pace, trailing Arsenal by nine and 10 points respectively, and Mourinho feels that they are already in danger of slipping out of contention.

“United are nine points behind Arsenal. It’s a gap. Nine points is a gap, Tottenham 10. That’s a gap. It’s not a gap for us,” he said.

“For us, we are speaking about four points. That’s not a gap. It’s something that, in two matches, is over. But nine or 10 points is a gap.

“They know that if the next step is to reduce from 10 to seven, nine to six, it’s to go again into the race. But if the next move is from 10 to 13, or nine to 12, it becomes hard.

“In this moment, some teams like Arsenal are a lot more comfortable because they can slide one match and nothing happens to them.

“Some other teams know the next night can be crucial. But the six teams are very equal in their potential.”

The former Real Madrid manager, who also includes Liverpool among the title contenders, added: “But I keep saying: there’s a lot to play in December.

“At the beginning of January we can have a look and say if all six are with short distances, or if someone has opened up a real gap.

Mourinho admits that the England international is being forced to come to terms with an unfamiliar role of understudy.-Supersport.