Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho believes that Sheffield United and Wolves are fighting to finish in the top four, along with Arsenal, Chelsea, and Everton, per Sky Sports News.
What’s the word?
Spurs are currently sixth in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and two behind the Blades, though they have a game in hand on Chris Wilder’s men.
Everton sit seventh, on 36 points, while Wolves are ninth with 35, and Arsenal sit 10th, one of four teams on 31 points.
Mourinho has appeared to deliberately leave out Manchester United, who are eighth, with 35 points, just two behind Spurs.
He said: “Wolves and Sheffield United are fighting for the top four, [the managers] can say no, I understand if they say no, but the reality is that they are. Not just because of the position that they are in the table, it is because of the power and quality.
“They arrive in this situation wherein the eyes of everybody [else], they should be more than happy – they are not more than happy.
“Wolves bought an important player to try and improve their situation.
“Sheffield United bought an important player and beat their record in the market to try to improve their team.
“It’s not just about Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton. It’s not just about us.
“These two clubs I have to say… fantastic.”
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A mind game
This feels like a mischievous little aside from Mourinho.
Of course, he managed United between 2016 and 2018, taking them to a sixth-placed finish in 2016/17, winning the Europa League to qualify for the Champions League, while they also finished second in 2017/18.
Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this term, though, they have struggled following last season’s sixth-placed finish and the Portuguese making the decision to leave United out of the contenders is perhaps a swipe at his former club, especially with Arsenal four points further back.
It could be that he is hoping to provoke a reaction; it could be that he simply forgot about United; with Mourinho, it feels like the former.
It remains to be seen if it backfires.
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