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The mind games have already started since José Mourinho takes his team from Tottenham Hotspur to Liverpool on Wednesday claiming that his injured rivals have “only one great concern”.
For the Spurs boss, it’s a welcome return to his element at the top of the Premier League, as he hopes his team, which leads the table, can inflict Liverpool’s first home loss in the top flight in more than three years.
Heading into the game, he downplayed current issues with the Reds team, causing his regular center-back partner Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez to be ruled out alongside Diogo Jota, while Joel Matip is also a question.
The Portuguese insists that only Van Dijk is Liverpool’s main injury after pulling out a list of unscathed Reds stars he thinks will show up.
It is the usual fun and games of Mourinho, who enjoys the opportunity to face Liverpool again, with whom he has built a long rivalry dating back 15 years. Sportsmail looks at five memorable matchups between them as the Spurs boss aims to dethrone the champions this term.
Liverpool 2-3 CHELSEA (AET) – League Cup Final, 2005
Mourinho’s first cup final in English football got off to a miserable start with his Blues team one goal less after just 45 seconds at Millennium Stadium following a goal from John Arne Riise. But he who laughs last laughs loudest.
Chelsea finally found the tie with just 10 minutes left after Steven Gerrard nodded his head in his own net, prompting the Chelsea players and their coach to celebrate in the ‘Operation: Liquidate the Reds’ supporters. ‘.
Mourinho took the most casual yet boastful stroll down the touchline with his forefinger moving in front of his lips before the fourth official quickly pulled him out of the line of fire from angry fans who had more than a few words to yell at him.
The Portuguese antics caused him to be sent to the stands where the fans continued to incite the now pantomime villain.
But Liverpool could not prevent more goals from Dider Drogba and Mateja Kezman, despite the consolation of Antonio Núñez, as Mourinho claimed his first trophy in English football.
Liverpool 1-0 CHELSEA (AGG 1-0) – Champions League Semifinal, 2005
Even to this day, this game still bothers Mourinho, whose conquering Chelsea team was in good shape to book their first place in the Champions League final.
They were favorites ahead of a Reds team struggling to reach the top four. Outside of European competition, they had lost all three of that period to the Blues, including the League Cup final.
Like the final, they scored early in Luis Garcia’s first game in the fourth minute and it turned out to be one of the most infamous moments in Champions League history.
Garcia lunged on a rebound to steer the ball toward goal, but despite William Gallas appearing to cut the ball, the goal was hit.
Unlike Wembley, this time there would be no turning back for Mourinho’s men and he would never be this close to leading Chelsea to Champions League glory again.
When asked by the Portuguese media recently about his worst moment in football, Mourinho still remembers that night at Anfield and says: ‘He went against Liverpool with a goal that VAR would not have conceded today.
Liverpool 1-4 CHELSEA – Premier League, 2005
Clearly, it wasn’t just Mourinho who felt the pain after the semi-final loss, as an October clash early in the 2005-06 season saw the Blues win some revenge.
Mourinho’s team were the Premier League champions and they proved why by hosting a clinic against Rafael Benítez’s Champions League winners to impose their biggest defeat at Anfield in Premier League history.
The Blues opened the scoring through Frank Lampard, with Steven Gerrard calling and Damien Duff re-establishing the lead shortly before the break.
Joe Cole and Geremi joined in the second half to allow Chelsea to clinch their eighth straight win to start the season before they could continue to defend the title.
Still, a victory of this magnitude wouldn’t be the same without a post-match moan from Mourinho, who decided to use the occasion to strike back at his critics who called his football boring (some things never change).
He reflected: “We are not the perfect team and I am not saying that we are the best team in the world, but I think we deserve a little more respect.”
Liverpool 0-2 CHELSEA – Premier League 2014
For a long time, the 2013-14 Premier League title battle seemed to be a three-horse race between Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea … or a two-horse and blue pony race if you asked Mourinho.
The Blues showed up at Anfield with three games to spare knowing that they realistically had to win to have any chance of lifting the title and that their championship hopes were out of their hands. Meanwhile, the Reds were three net points off the top considering City’s play at hand.
Brendan Rodgers’ side entered the game as favorites having won their previous 11 league games and a clash with Mourinho’s Chelsea was seen as the last significant hurdle to overcome to gallop towards Liverpool’s first Premier League title.
A tepid game dominated by Liverpool came to life on the brink of halftime when one of the most repeated moments in the Premier League saw Reds captain Steven Gerrard slip while trying to control a pass, allowing Demba Ba to run into the ball. goal to fit. .
Mourinho parked the bus in the second half, with his team seeing just 27 percent of the ball and even the Portuguese lived up to his playing tricks when he would prevent Liverpool from throwing a serve by protecting the ball away from an impatient Gerrard.
Finally came a goal … from Chelsea, who in the counterattack in the last minute secured the points with a touch of Willian.
Mourinho’s chest beating the celebrations in front of the traveling fans at the final whistle was that of a man who had not only executed a perfect plan to keep his team in the title race, but of one who had scored a goal. about an old rival.
The game was the turning point in the title race, with City making the most of it to be crowned champions on the final day of the season.
Liverpool 3-1 MANCHESTER UNITED – Premier League, 2018
The last page of José Mourinho’s mandate at Manchester United. While Liverpool had enjoyed an impressive undefeated start to the season that left them on top with 13 wins in 16 games, United were in sixth place and 11 points adrift of a Chelsea that held last place in the League. Champions.
With reports that Mourinho had fallen out with many of his first-team regulars, the pressure was on the Portuguese and the last match his struggling United team needed was a trip to club rivals who weren’t in the mood to quit. the habit of winning.
Under the cold drizzle, the hosts were expected to take the lead through Sadio Mane, only for Jesse Lingard to tie around the half-hour mark.
United worked defensively for most of the game and the pressure eventually turned excessive as Xherdan Shaqiri helped Liverpool regain the lead in the 73rd minute before the Swiss star scored again seven minutes later.
Sitting next to assistant Michael Carrick on the bench, Mourinho seemed unsure what to do with his team, which at no point appeared to win the game.
Although Mourinho boasted after the game that his team ‘could still finish fourth’, he would not have a chance to prove his words as he was sacked two days later, with United scoring 26 points, their worst total after 17 games since 1990. .
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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