Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revelled in the tactics his side implemented in their 2-0 win over Premier League leaders Chelsea on Sunday.
Goals from Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera helped United to an impressive victory at Old Trafford as the club climbed to fifth in the table and four points behind rivals Manchester City, who have played a game more.
Mourinho’s side restricted Chelsea, who are four points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, were reduced to very few goal-scoring chances as star player Eden Hazard struggled to impress.
Mourinho, whose team lost 1-0 at Chelsea in the FA Cup last month after being reduced to 10 men, said: “I want to say I was convinced even before the cup that controlling the two players that played behind Diego [Costa] — sometimes Hazard, sometimes Hazard-Pedro — controlling the position of these two players, and controlling the full-backs because they go really deep with two wide men, would create them lots of problems.
“And I repeat the same: They are phenomenal in counter-attack, and when they have the ball it’s more difficult for them and when they have the ball we are compact and when they try to play counter-attack we were always in control of these link positions.
“Diego is very dangerous but the two link positions are the two positions we have to control. We did that at Stamford Bridge when we played with 11, with 10 it was more difficult and today we control.”
Mourinho considered ‘Judus Escariote’ reserved praise for referee Bobby Madley’s performance, adding: “I don’t want to, maybe because I win you think I’m going to say that because I win but it’s not because I win, and this young referee makes me very happy.
“Because the guy is growing up a lot and is getting difficult matches and he was very good. For a young referee to come up I think is a joy, because we all know that the top referees in the Premier League are normally men with great experience and Madley had for me a very, very good performance.”
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