For the ninth time this season, league champions Chelsea lost, but this time to high-flying, Jamie Vardy-inspired Leicester City, who are now top of the league table.
While this latest loss has drawn condemnation to the tactics of Blues manager, Jose Mourinho, and revived talks that all may not be well within his dressing room, the Portuguese manager has been speaking about the factors responsible for the loss.
The 52-year-old tactician blamed: the Leicester ball boys, calling them a ‘disgrace’; Eden Hazard, for ‘substituting’ himself even when he showed clear signs of discomfort; and Diego Costa, for not being in the box at the right time.
Read the full text of his interview after the loss here…
On the result
“They deserved to win. They were better than us for a long period of time.
“We were the best for half an hour, they were the best for an hour. They were confident, focused, aggressive and made no mistakes.
“We conceded two goals that are unacceptable. My best qualities are to read the game for my players, every detail about the opponent.
“These two goals, the movement of Vardy between the central defenders, the cross with the left foot, it is a big frustration to accept. We should be two against one against Mahrez, not one against one.
“I feel that my work was betrayed.
“When we scored the goal, there was 15 minutes to go, which disappeared into five because the match almost finished there with the ball boys, the injuries, go in, go out, the ball disappears, all this stuff which is not nice, but they did very well.
“It’s difficult to score goals when you have some players that are not at their best level. It’s obvious, everybody knows that.
“It’s obvious we did not play at our best level. Players in crucial positions are not at their normal level. It is hard.
“Last year I did phenomenal work. They were at more than their level, more than they really are. We are doing so bad this season for some reason. Some of them are different – not all of all them – but clearly some are so different.
“Day by day in training, I have no complaints. I am frustrated by the difference between training and matches. I have to be honest with them.”
On Eden Hazard’s injury
“In ten seconds he made the decision to come off himself. So it must be a serious injury. It must be something important.
“His first reaction was ‘I can’t continue’, his second reaction was ‘I want to try’, but after his first step back on the pitch he said he couldn’t. He’s injured clearly.
“He had three different perspectives in a few seconds. It must be something important. He clearly couldn’t do it.
“He’s injured clearly. during the game I have no time to understand whats going on, I have time now. But clearly he tried and immediately felt no way.”
On his substitutions
“I always try to help. Today it helped but was not enough. We took John off, left Zouma and Azpi on because they are faster. More of the game was about the counter attack, so we had an extra midfielder, rather than a defender.
“Then an extra striker to have extra occupation of the box because clearly Diego is in trouble in the box and normally his movement is to the sides and he doesn’t operate in finishing areas so we bought Remy on.”
What next?
“I don’t know another way than work at the top level which is what i do every day. And again I have to be honest and say day-by-day in training I don’t have any problems with the players.
“If i look to some matches and i feel frustrated about the difference between what they do in training and matches, clearly, yes.
“But i have to honest with them and say every day in training I enjoy working with them.”
Has the top four gone?
“Yes, clearly.”