This season, Manchester United have rarely been involved in a game as significant as Tottenham’s clash with Chelsea.
Jose Mourinho will join the rest of the Premier League in watching on as Antonio Conte aims to lead the Blues to a 14th successive win, equalling Arsenal’s record from over a decade ago.
Spurs have a decent record against their London rivals at home over the last few years, and after scoring eight goals in their last two games, they’re in great form going into the game.
However, Mourinho is being typically flippant about the reasons for the two clubs’ respective runs – suggesting they have had more rest than everyone else.
“We will see Chelsea-Tottenham and somebody may lose, or both could lose two points,” Mourinho told a press conference.
“So the next step is to try to win our matches, but in relation to Tottenham versus Chelsea… we hope that it is an amazing match.
“It is a match between two amazing football teams with the privilege that no one else has – they are fresh [after a longer break]. Let’s hope for a good match.”
Of course, there’s nothing Tottenham or Chelsea can do about the fact that TV scheduling has given them extra time between games, so they’re hardly going to let Mourinho’s mind games get to them.
The Portuguese must have mixed emotions too, as while he surely doesn’t want his successor, Conte, to run away with the title, United are closer to Tottenham in the table.
If Spurs win, they will be three points ahead of the Red Devils, and with a vastly superior goal difference – and if that’s not a big enough incentive, they’ll overtake Arsenal too.
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