The impotence that José Mourinho felt in the closing weeks of last season has helped fuel Chelsea’s demonstration of power this term. Although the Portuguese continually insisted last year that his team could not win the title, it still rankled that their chances of doing so in the final few games depended on Manchester City and Liverpool more than on him and his players. For a man who seeks to influence everything around him, that was vexing. His response this season has been emphatic.
Determined to seize control of his own fate, Mourinho has attacked this season with a vengeance, seldom rotating or resting key players, practically always unleashing his strongest available side. Chelsea have been top or joint-top of the Premier League since the first day of this season and they go to Queens Park Rangers on Sunday with a points advantage and games in hand over everyone beneath them. They are on course to beat the record set by Arsenal’s Invincibles for the number of consecutive days at the top of the league. That dominance gives Mourinho serenity. As far as he is concerned at the moment, the results of Premier League matches not involving his side are as irrelevant as the result of matches in lower leagues. That is how he likes it.
“We don’t want to be influenced by anything,” says Mourinho. “We are in a position where we can be isolated from everything. We don’t have to be watching Manchester City against Manchester United. We just think about ourselves. I know [that City are playing against United], but I know the same as I know that Tottenham plays Aston Villa and Fulham plays Wigan. I know because I know, not because I am worried.”
The manager says his players are harder and more savvy than last season. After 30 matches last term Chelsea were top of the league, a point ahead of Liverpool and three ahead of City, who had two matches in hand. But surprising defeats to Crystal Palace and Sunderland and a home draw with Norwich City left Mourinho’s side relying on others.
The manager was dismayed at his team’s inability to adapt to the diverse challenges posed by Premier League opponents, memorably lamenting after the loss at Palace that his players needed to learn not to wear jeans to a wedding, nor a smoking jacket for a walk in the park. Now, says Mourinho, his team know how to dress for every occasion. “Everybody learns from experiences, good and bad,” he says. “If you leave the experiences, you don’t reflect and catch the opportunities to try to be better and stronger. That’s a big mistake.”
Sunday at Loftus Road will be no place for smoking jackets. This is a derby and, with Palace, West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also in the top flight, derbies are the reason that Mourinho says it is tougher for a London team to be crowned champions.
“A derby’s a derby, with all the emotion that creates around it, so it’s true, it is harder for London teams to win the league,” says Mourinho, who claims he relishes such contests because they are what make the capital a special footballing city. “I would love Fulham to be in the Premier League. I want London clubs to stay in the Premier League. I don’t have that sense of rivalry. I think it’s a unique city in the football world with so many clubs. That makes it really difficult but nice.”
Queens Park Rangers fans do have that sense of rivalry. A particular antipathy for west London neighbours who have been lording it over them for ages has, since 2011, been aggravated by dislike of John Terry, who infamously used racist language towards Anton Ferdinand during a previous meeting between these teams. Throw in QPR’s desperation for points to strengthen their effort to avoid relegation and Loftus Road is sure to be a hostile environment for Chelsea on Sunday.
Mourinho, however, says he will not omit Cesc Fàbregas and Nemanja Matic, both of whom are one yellow card away from suspensions that would rule them out of the forthcoming clashes with Manchester United and Arsenal.
To win the title Chelsea need 15 points from the 24 still available to them – and Mourinho is eager to get them as quickly as possible.
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