Mourinho scoffs at United title talk

Jose Mourinho wrote off Manchester United’s hopes of retaining the Premier League title after a Samuel Eto’o hat-trick secured a comfortable 3-1 victory for Chelsea – Mourinho’s 100 Premier League win.

David Moyes, the United manager, insisted his side were still in the hunt but yesterday’s defeat at Stamford Bridge – their seventh in 22 league games – leaves the champions 14 points adrift of leaders Arsenal and 12 behind Mourinho’s side in third.

“I am nobody to say that United are out of the title race,” said the Portuguese. “Maybe if I say that, some people from United would ask who am I to say that. But I don’t think David will be upset if I say the reality: 14 points difference, and 13 and 12 (to the others). Can they recover to one of these teams? They can. But to three of them? It needs three teams to have almost a collapse. What I hope they do is to beat all of them to finish top four.”