Mourinho hails Herrera and Darmian, Conte takes blame after Chelsea fall at Old Trafford

Record ID: 645423

  • Title: Mourinho hails Herrera and Darmian, Conte takes blame after Chelsea fall at Old Trafford
  • Date: 16th April 2017
  • Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (APRIL 16, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING: "Different teams, different players. Maybe it is difficult for some managers to find Ander Herrera to do the job that he did today. Maybe it is difficult for some managers to find a Matteo Darmian to play the role he played. I want to say that I was convinced even before the cup (the defeat by Chelsea in February's FA Cup match) that controlling the two players that play behind Diego (Costa), sometimes Hazard and Willian, sometimes Hazard and Pedro, controlling the position of these two players and controlling the full-backs, because they go really deep, controlling the full-backs with two wide men, would create lots of problems."
  • Embargoed: 30th April 2017 21:31
  • Keywords: Manchester United Chelsea Jose Mourinho Antonio Conte Premier League
  • Location: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK
  • City: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0046CNETKV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Manchester United opened up the Premier League title race with a convincing 2-0 home victory over leaders Chelsea on Sunday (April 16) that leaves second-placed Tottenham Hotspur just four points behind.
    Goals by Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera sank Chelsea and, with six games left for the top two, there is little room for any more slip-ups by Antonio Conte's side who a few weeks ago looked like they were running away with the title.
    Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho hailed his defensive midfielders, Ander Herrera and Matteo Darmian, for a "special performance" after the win.
    Mourinho added that the key to beating Chelsea was eliminating the threat they posed through Eden Hazard and Pedro working behind Diego Costa and also their effectiveness in wide positions on the counter-attack.
    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said he was to blame for the loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, saying he had failed to motivate his players enough.
    Chelsea failed to have a single shot on target in a Premier League game for the first time since another 2-0 loss to United in September 2007.
    The former Juventus coach said he was not worried about the pressure mounting over the final six games, however.
    Chelsea's April 1 home defeat to Crystal Palace was followed by wins over Manchester City and Bournemouth that eased concerns of a late-season slump.
    Now, the defeat at Old Trafford, combined with Tottenham's strong form, including 12 straight home wins, means some nerves may be jangling at Stamford Bridge.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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