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Jose Mourinho says key Chelsea players are improving

Jose Mourinho has had more to shout about over the last week
Image: Jose Mourinho has had more to shout about over the last week

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho thinks the mood is improving at Stamford Bridge after two good results in the last week.

The Blues have made a lacklustre start to the defence of their Premier League title and also lost their second Champions League pool game at Porto.

However, they returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge last Saturday before a 0-0 draw at Dynamo Kiev, a match Mourinho thinks they were unlucky not to win.

We have got two important results, three points in the Premier League and a point away at a qualification rival. The mood improves with results and we are happy.
Jose Mourinho

Chelsea now face a tough trip to fourth-placed West Ham on Saturday and Mourinho hopes they can maintain recent standards.

"Clean sheets are important but not just the clean sheets, also the way the team played," said Mourinho.

"It was not a superb goalkeeper performance but clean sheets based on team work. The team defended really well in both matches.

"We have got two important results, three points in the Premier League and a point away at a qualification rival.

"The mood improves with results and we are happy."

Nemanja Matic was in top form for Chelsea in Kiev
Image: Nemanja Matic (second left) was in top form for Chelsea in Kiev

Mourinho also thinks that the display in Kiev featured improved displays from some of his players.

"It was a difficult match for us because we want to win but we cannot lose," he said.

"For an about an hour the team played really well. The only thing we did not get was the goal we deserved.

"We hit two posts and one of them was a great save. We had very good situations.

"Good personality, some very good individual performances. Individually, an improvement in the performances.

"I don't like to use these examples but [Nemanja] Matic went from being on the bench against Aston Villa, coming on in the second half, to being UEFA man of the match.

"The team was always together, the players were always together."

Dynamo Kiev's Ukrainian midfielder Vitaliy Buyalskiy (L) vies with Chelsea's Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard during the Champions League
Image: Mourinho is not saying whether Eden Hazard (right) will start on Saturday

Eden Hazard won awards for his brilliant displays last season but has struggled to replicate his form this term and did not start against Villa.

However, he returned in Kiev and Mourinho remarked approvingly: "Hazard played the last match for 90 minutes and was part of the compact team."

When asked if Hazard would start at Upton Park, Mourinho replied: "I don't know. You have lots of people giving an opinion (about Hazard's form this season), I prefer not to individualise."

Mourinho is certainly expecting a tough match on Saturday and said: "Look to the table.

"See where they are, see where we are (12th), and it is easy to make conclusions."

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