Share

Mourinho praises midfielders

Cape Town - Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was full of praise for midfield duo Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas as his side strolled to a comfortable win over Aston Villa.

Chelsea v Aston Villa 

"They were fantastic in the way they moved the ball and their position when we didn't have the ball," said Mourinho on the club's website.

"They were always in a good position to try to stop Villa counter-attacking, because we know they have good fast players on the counter-attack, so the team played really well.

"Villa have won two matches away from home, scoring one goal [in each].

"If you want to win you have to have the ball but at the same time prevent the counter-attack from happening, keep a balance in the team. The way we positioned Matic and Fabregas we gave the team a good balance."

Mourinho did go on to mention a rather "unique" performance from Eden Hazard.

The Portugal boss singled out the winger after the match as the Belgian star had a day to forget.

"Eden Hazard started the season well, played good matches but had an isolated not good performance." added Mourinho.

"But no dramas and I’m not too worried about it.

"It was not his day."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE