Mourinho keeps the faith

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists his side will win the Barclays Premiership title for the second successive season, despite their recent dip in form.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who has been involved in a public spat with Mourinho in recent weeks, suggested the race for glory had been opened up once more following Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Defeats, Mourinho believes, are all part of the game and insists he shed no tears over the loss of their unbeaten sequence.

“I am not a coach who cries – but one who tries to find solutions,” he declared.

“That is what I did after the defeat against Real Betis and I will do so again after losing to Manchester United last week.

“There is no shame in defeat because we were champions last season, we are league leaders at the moment and we will be champions again for the second year running.”

Next up for Chelsea are Newcastle, who have lost just one of their last nine games in all competitions.

The Magpies have now climbed into the top half of the table after a sluggish start and manager Graeme Souness said: “Other than Tottenham, Chelsea and Wigan, everybody would think their season has not started yet.

“Liverpool would think they have not started yet, Manchester United would feel that and Arsenal would feel that. We certainly feel that.”

Albert Luque will not figure at Stamford Bridge after having his comeback date delayed by a week.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been quick to ridicule recent reports of a Liverpool crisis as his side prepare to face Portsmouth.

Benitez points out that Liverpool have played two games less than most of their rivals because of European commitments and that the table could look very different come the turn of the year.

He said: “There was talk of us being in crisis when we went out of the Carling Cup, but we proved that in the space of a week things can change for the better and the players deserve to be congratulated for getting back to winning ways with three straight victories.

“And defensively we are looking very strong again. We know we conceded a lot of goals against Chelsea and also two at Fulham, but recently we have got back into the habit of keeping clean sheets and that is important for our confidence.”

Portsmouth defender Brian Priske hopes Peter Crouch will wait until after the weekend before breaking his duck for Liverpool.

Crouch, who has not scored for his new club since his £7million summer move, could feature tomorrow at Anfield against his former club Pompey.

“In normal circumstances I would love to see him (Crouch) score a goal because he is obviously a hard-working player, doing his best, said Priske. “But I just hope he can wait another week.

“Then, of course, he might not even start. Liverpool have so many good players. It might be (Fernando) Morientes and (Djibril) Cisse out there instead.”

Manchester City defender Richard Dunne is ready to face his ultimate nightmare in tiny Blackburn striker Paul Dickov.

The duo only shared the same City dressing room for a season until Dickov was deemed surplus to requirements by then Blues boss Kevin Keegan, since when the Scotland international appears to have been on a one-man mission to prove his old manager wrong.

Dickov has scored three times in five outings against City since his departure for Leicester in 2002, including Blackburn’s goal in a 1-1 draw at Eastlands last term.

And Dunne is not expecting a second’s peace when the pair do battle tomorrow.

“Paul is a nightmare to play against,” admitted the Republic of Ireland international.

“Every defender in the league will tell you he is so annoying. You can’t see him half the time, but you know he is there, nibbling away at your ankles.

“He is at you all the time. You don’t get a free second. Every time you get the ball, you know he is going to be on top of you. He really is a pain in the backside.”

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes has hailed Dickov’s strike partner Craig Bellamy as “a great weapon to have” with the striker now beginning to find form and fitness.

Bellamy has been in and out of the side this season in the wake of his big-money switch from Newcastle over the summer, but has still weighed in with six goals from seven starts.

“Craig has been great since he came here,” said Hughes.

“He is a great professional, wants to work hard, wants to have an effect on things.

“What he does give us, certainly in the last period of games, is a threat in behind.

“When teams are trying to chase games and trying to get back into matches against us, the threat of Craig Bellamy breaking away is always there, and is a great weapon to have.”