Jose Mourinho has described Chelsea as “outsiders” for the Premier League title this season.
The Blues moved level on points with second-placed Manchester City after Branislav Ivanovic’s first-half strike sealed a 1-0 victory over Manuel Pellegrini’s men at The Etihad on Monday night.
If we have the chance to win it, we won’t say we don’t want to but we haven’t the same responsibility
Jose Mourinho
Chelsea currently trail leaders Arsenal by two points, and Mourinho believes his side is still developing, claiming that the Citizens have the best squad and the Gunners are aided by their long-term stability.
“I’m not saying we’re not going to [win the title]. I’m saying that we’re not candidates – we’re outsiders,” Mourinho said at his pre-match media conference.
“We’re playing our league against ourselves to try to improve against the other opponents who try to get the best result.
“We’re not a squad like Manchester City with every player in the best moment of their careers, their age all between 24,25 and 30, all of them working together for quite a long time, a manager that arrives with a team there ready for him.
“Arsenal are the biggest example of stability. The biggest example of a manager working with players year after year. He’s working with these guys since they were really young; [Aaron] Ramsey, [Theo] Walcott and [Jack] Wilshere.
“They’re working with the same manager for a long, long time. We’re different. We’re beginning.”
He continued: “Today? No [we’re not candidates]! We are there because we’re doing very well or City and Arsenal aren’t doing as well as they should with the conditions they have.
“Do we dream to winning the Premier League? Of course. Do we want to win the next game against Newcastle? Of course. If we have the chance to win it, we won’t say we don’t want to but we haven’t the same responsibility.”
On whether his downplaying of Chelsea’s Premier League title chances was a mind-game ploy, Mourinho replied: “For me it’s always mind games. Everything I say is mind games. Everything I do is mind games. The only thing that is not mind games is the result.”