Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho refused to entertain talk of an unbeaten season after seeing his side strengthen their position at the Premier League summit by winning 2-1 at Liverpool.
Diego Costa's 67th-minute goal gave Chelsea victory at Anfield on Saturday, helping his side extend an unbeaten league run stretching back to March and fuelling comparisons with Arsenal's 2003-04 Invincibles.
But Mourinho believes that suggestions his team could emulate that Arsenal side by going through an entire season without losing a game are fanciful.
"No chance," he said when asked about his side's prospects of avoiding defeat between now and May 24.
"It's possible to be champions. We want to play for that, but in modern football I don't believe in going unbeaten all season.
"One day we will lose, but the next game we will win again. We will play badly, but we will recover our game because we are a strong team."
Victory moved Chelsea 15 points above Liverpool, who finished runners-up in the league last season.
However, Mourinho is not ready to discount the threat posed by Brendan Rodgers's club or claim that the title race will be a comfortable one.
"If this was the Spanish league or German league or Portuguese league, when you have two teams trying to become champions, then you are almost there with 15 points," he said.
"But this is England. Every match is difficult. In England, you can lose points in every game. It's not [just] about Liverpool; it's Man City, Man United, Arsenal, it's about Tottenham, it's about Southampton."
Rodgers has endured a difficult week that also featured a league loss at Newcastle United and Champions League defeat at Real Madrid.
"I'd hopefully win all three games," said Rodgers when asked if he would do anything differently if given the chance. "But we plan [with] the players and the team the best we can." - AFP
One day we will lose - Mourinho
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho refused to entertain talk of an unbeaten season after seeing his side strengthen their position at the Premier League summit by winning 2-1 at Liverpool.
Diego Costa's 67th-minute goal gave Chelsea victory at Anfield on Saturday, helping his side extend an unbeaten league run stretching back to March and fuelling comparisons with Arsenal's 2003-04 Invincibles.
But Mourinho believes that suggestions his team could emulate that Arsenal side by going through an entire season without losing a game are fanciful.
"No chance," he said when asked about his side's prospects of avoiding defeat between now and May 24.
"It's possible to be champions. We want to play for that, but in modern football I don't believe in going unbeaten all season.
"One day we will lose, but the next game we will win again. We will play badly, but we will recover our game because we are a strong team."
Victory moved Chelsea 15 points above Liverpool, who finished runners-up in the league last season.
However, Mourinho is not ready to discount the threat posed by Brendan Rodgers's club or claim that the title race will be a comfortable one.
"If this was the Spanish league or German league or Portuguese league, when you have two teams trying to become champions, then you are almost there with 15 points," he said.
"But this is England. Every match is difficult. In England, you can lose points in every game. It's not [just] about Liverpool; it's Man City, Man United, Arsenal, it's about Tottenham, it's about Southampton."
Rodgers has endured a difficult week that also featured a league loss at Newcastle United and Champions League defeat at Real Madrid.
"I'd hopefully win all three games," said Rodgers when asked if he would do anything differently if given the chance. "But we plan [with] the players and the team the best we can." - AFP
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