Mourinho: I’m not running away
Print Edition
DEFENDING champion Chelsea fell to its fourth loss of the Premier League season on Saturday, leaving Jose Mourinho talking about the possibility of being fired.
In what appeared to be a pre-emptive move after Saturday’s 3-1 home loss to Southampton in London, Mourinho reminded owner Roman Abramovich that the club has an unwelcome reputation for discarding managers.
In the six years before Mourinho returned to the Chelsea dugout in 2013‚ after previously coaching the team from 2004 to 2007‚ Abramovich went through seven managers.
“If the club wants to sack me, they have to sack me, because I’m not running away from my responsibility, my team,” Mourinho told Sky Sports television.
If losing four games out of eight so far in the league was not bad enough, Chelsea also lost at Mourinho’s former team, FC Porto, in the Champions League on Tuesday.
“If the club sacks me, they sack the best manager this club has had,” Mourinho said. “And the message is again that ... bad results, the manager is guilty. That is the message the players have had for a decade.”
In other games, it was: Manchester City 6, Newcastle 1; Sunderland 2, West Ham 2; Stoke 1, Aston Villa 0; Norwich 1, Leicester 2; Crystal Palace 2, West Brom 1; and Bournemouth 1, Watford 1.
The decision to recall captain John Terry backfired and fellow center back Gary Cahill was similarly susceptible in defense as Mourinho endured only his third league loss at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea manager.
Willian had curled in a free kick after 10 minutes to put the champions in front but Steven Davis leveled before halftime. Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle netted in the second half to give Southampton its first win at Chelsea since 2002.
Chelsea is only four points above the relegation zone and 10 points behind leader Manchester City.
Chelsea’s latest setback overshadowed Sergio Aguero’s five-goal performance as City trashed Newcastle 6-1.
City’s dominant performance in the second half against Newcastle provided a reminder of the team’s title credentials after back-to-back Premier League losses and a Champions League setback.
Aleksandar Mitrovic headed Newcastle in front in the 18th minute and it took Aguero until three minutes before halftime to equalize.
But in a 13-minute spell at the start of the second half, Aguero added another four goals, while Kevin de Bruyne also got in on the scoring act for the leaders.
“In other games he was maybe having a lot of chances but not scoring,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini told the BBC.
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