Tottenham have been riding high on the league front, winning game after game like chopping melons and vegetables. Chelsea, who have to settle second in the table on goal difference, are naturally under pressure – if they fail to keep up with Tottenham's progress, the gap between the two sides in the league will soon change from the current goal difference to a real point. When that happens, it will be really difficult for Chelsea to regain the top spot!

Regardless, Chelsea's success is based on iron-clad defence and strict team discipline and a remarkably consistent performance, with mercury-pumping attacks and goal difference not being their forte. While Chelsea's attacking firepower and defensive standards are among the best in the Premier League, it is a shame that the Blues have come up against a Tottenham Hotspur side that has done much better at both ends of the pitch!

So, in order to avoid falling into that situation, Chelsea now have to bite Tottenham Hotspur in the table anyway. Otherwise, the Blues will have to hope that Tottenham will have another Clattenburg on their way forward, or hope that the pressure of multi-front operations will bring down the title rivals.

"Don't draw any conclusions in advance until you've decided the winner. Having won the title last season, we are more than capable of doing it a second time this season. In the face of the stalking and tireless questioning of journalists, Mourinho said categorically: "I believe that when the season comes to an end, the team that lifts the trophy on the podium will only be our Chelsea!"

"If Tottenham are really as strong as you say, how did we get the top spot from Tottenham in the first place?" "As usual, when faced with skepticism or the team's poor performance, Mourinho has always tried to find fault with other people, rather than blaming his own players, "Don't use multi-fronts and injuries as an excuse. Don't forget, Chelsea have to face a multi-front battle this season just like Tottenham! Besides, they have played two more Club World Cups and one UEFA Super Cup than we do, and the consumption on all aspects is not as huge as the outside world says!

To be honest, Mourinho's words are somewhat unreasonable. Although Tottenham have only played the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup more than Chelsea, the more knowledgeable fans know how devastating it would be for a European team to spend a week halfway around the world in the middle of the season. Not to mention, Chelsea haven't suffered the same serious injury wave as Tottenham, and Mourinho is naturally more comfortable with his players than Georges and has an easier time in the league.

"Haha, that's what José said? To the surprise of many reporters, after learning of Mourinho's remarks, George did not get angry, but laughed, looking like he didn't take this matter to heart at all. It's just that the words that came out of his mouth were also sharp: "Since he said so, then I will follow suit...... I dare to say that in English football now, as long as Tottenham can play normally and not be plagued by injuries, then there is absolutely no team that is our opponent!

One stone stirs up a thousand waves. The provocation between Mourinho and George was like a big rock, and it suddenly set off a huge wave in the whole of English football. Supporters on both sides have their own voices for Chelsea and Tottenham, and fans from other teams have joined in because of the relationship between the pond fish, further expanding the scale and influence of this debate!

Although Jose Mourinho was confident in his interview, the Chelsea players did not disappoint, beating Aston Villa and Liverpool in the next two league games, but against Tottenham Hotspur, who have won six league games in a row and have won all competitions since '06 and are unbeaten in the Premier League this season, most people think that the Portuguese madman is just a dead duck. Because on the one hand, it is true that in the current English football, in the face of Tottenham, which is not plagued by multi-fronts and injuries, there is no Premier League team that is its opponent. Even Chelsea, who have built a lot of money, have never had the upper hand in the head-to-head confrontation with Tottenham!

On the other hand, although Chelsea are strong and second only to Tottenham in terms of bench depth, Mourinho is not active enough in rotation, resulting in Chelsea falling into a strange situation where the main players have been fighting continuously for a long time, and the substitutes have few opportunities to perform. Mourinho's employment strategy is very likely to lay hidden dangers for Chelsea's journey in the second half of the season!

Sure enough, when Tottenham Hotspur defeated Sunderland 2-0 in the 26th round of the Premier League and won three consecutive away wins, Chelsea once again overturned in the gutter - the all-main Blues lost the riverside stadium by three goals, and Tottenham Hotspur, who won this round, opened up a three-point gap in one fell swoop!

Middlesbrough, a team far less famous than their predecessors under the butterfly effect caused by George, made a name for themselves with their victory against Chelsea. Nigerian centre-forward Yakubu, who single-handedly stirred up the Chelsea backline and was arguably the man who was the hero of the defeat of the Blues, attracted the attention of many strong teams. Downing and Roshenbach, who also performed well in this game, also received unanimous praise from the media and fans, and their tepid careers also ushered in a turnaround. Head coach McClaren became famous overnight after this game, and was touted by the English media as the best among local coaches!

It's no surprise that Middlesbrough would be so enthusiastically pursued. After all, the last time Chelsea lost by more than three goals was back in 01/02, when Claudio Ranieri's Blues lost to Premier League giants Manchester United. Now, Chelsea are the only Premier League team that has the quality to wrestle with Tottenham in the league. Middlesbrough can play such a Chelsea side like this, even on their own home turf, and they deserve these accolades!

And so, less than two weeks after the previous rhetoric, Chelsea fell out in the race for the top spot. This ironclad fact is enough to make Mourinho lose face!

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