Man United boss Jose Mourinho admits Man City's 11-point lead may be insurmountable

Alam Khan - Reporter 01:53 11/12/2017
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  • As he lamented conceding “disgraceful goals” and being denied a “clear penalty”, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes neighbours Manchester City now have an advantage that could prove insurmountable in the Premier League title race.

    “Probably, yes,” he said after Pep Guardiola’s leaders inflicted their first loss in 41 home games to extend the gap to 11 points.

    “It is a significant distance. We can work and fight for it. Match after match and every match we are going to give everything, with our qualities, with our problems, that is what we do all the time.

    “But Manchester City are a very good team and they are protected by the luck, and the gods of football are behind them. I think they have all these decisions in their favour.”

    Despite City being dominant in possession, Mourinho felt the outcome should have been different.

    Striker Romelu Lukaku twice blundered through horrific defending in his own box to allow David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi to claim the decisive goals. The first a hooked effort two minutes before the break, the second in the 54th after Lukaku’s hurried clearance hit Chris Smalling and fell to Otamendi to stretch and volley past David De Gea.

    City were similarly slack at the back to concede through Marcus Rashford in the second minute of first-half added time after Otamendi missed a cross and Fabian Delph was deceived by a bounce.

    But Mourinho felt referee Michael Oliver should have given a spot kick when Ander Herrera went over the outstretched leg of Otamendi in the 79th minute. United’s Spanish midfielder was booked for a dive instead.

    “My first reaction is I feel sorry for referee Michael Oliver because he had a very good match but unfortunately he made an important mistake,” said Mourinho.

    “Michael was unlucky because it was a clear penalty. I think when you see Manchester City play, you expect Manchester City to score great goals not to score two disgraceful goals. They are the last goals you expect to concede against a quality team like Manchester City, two very bad goals…. with a rebound and incredible lucky or unlucky depending on perspective. They were two easy goals.”

    Luck did play a part in the stunning double save by Ederson five minutes from time when Lukaku had the chance to atone for his errors and make peace with the home fans frustrated by his calamitous contribution.

    Anthony Martial crossed from the left and Lukaku saw his point-blank finish hit Ederson in the face and the Brazilian keeper somehow picked himself up to block Juan Mata’s follow up.

    “People say it was an amazing save by Ederson, that’s true, it was amazing, the key point, but I think De Gea had much more saves than Ederson,’ argued Guardiola. “We won because we were better. In all departments, we were better.”

    With a record 14th league win in a single season confirmed, the City boss also refuted the pre-match suggestion from Mourinho that his players dived.

    “The message was the same in Barcelona: our players diving. It’s the same,” he added. “When a team has the courage to have 65, 70, 75 percent average ball possession in all the games, it’s because it’s an honest team, it’s because they want to play. Sometimes they’re quicker, sometimes they’re faster, but they’re not a team who try to look for something special. Because we are honest. We’re going to face the opponent face-to-face to try to win.”

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