Chelsea Player : about Important Winning against Hull City

Eden Hazard

About the Game

‘It was important after the draw at home [against Southampton],’ he said. ‘We now have nine finals to play and we have to win them if we want to bring the title to Stamford Bridge.

‘We know when you play away from home it’s always difficult. I remember in the game [at Hull] last season we scored two late goals but the match was difficult. It was the same again but the most important thing was to win.’

About Loic Remy

‘I know it’s not easy when you are on the bench but Loic is a very good player and very important for us,’

Kurt Zouma

‘It was an English match,’

‘It was far from easy but we will take the three points. That’s the most important thing right now.

‘We are focused on the championship now, taking it match after match and trying to win every game. We are happy we managed to do that. We have big players here and we found a way to score the winning goal.’

Loic Remy

About the Game

‘It was just a question of being in the right place at the right time and we are just looking forward to the next step. Hopefully we will win this title but we could see again in this game that it is not an easy league to win and that is why we will try to fight every game to win.

‘It was a really tough game against Hull City. After the two goals we scored they reacted in the right way and put us in a difficult situation. The two goals they scored in a row gave them confidence and it was a bit difficult but the most important is the win.’

About His role as a subs

‘It is true it is frustrating sitting on the bench but the manager knows all the team and he has very good quality in the squad,’

‘That is why when I came on I just played with my quality. Scoring goals is my job as a striker but I know there are only 11 players on the pitch and as soon the manager needs me I am here.’

‘The goal was a good moment for me but it was the work of all the team and we are working properly at training every day to achieve success. For us it is really important to win this kind of game. We are still of top of the league and we keep going in this way and will see what happens the season.’

chelseafc.com

Aaron Ramsey about Francis Coquelin : He makes us tick over

“He’s been really good,”

“He’s very aggressive and doesn’t give the opposition much time on the ball, and that’s why he wins so many tackles. Then he wins the ball and makes us tick over.”

“It’s been really good to see his development this year, he’s had a superb couple of months now so hopefully he can continue that.”

“It is quite comforting knowing that one of the midfielders is behind you in position, thinking more defensively. It is something that he does really well.”

“There are a number of players who are more than capable of putting in good performances in the middle and we have shown that with the number of different combinations we’ve had this season,”

“There’s definitely a fight for our places and everyone is keeping each other on their toes - it’s good that we have that strength in depth now.”

arsenal.com

Michael Carrick : It was a massive win

“This is the place to win, it’s a massive game,”

“It doesn’t matter where we are in the league, or where they are, it is always special but it had that extra bit of importance. They were chasing us and right on us so it was a massive win.”

“The first half performance was as good as we’ve played here. They always press and make it a high-tempo match, but I thought we got the ball down, played some terrific football and caused them a lot of problems. We were deservedly ahead at half-time.”

“I thought the second goal was a sensational finish”

“The first one was also good, mind you, a good touch and finish on his right foot, but the second was pretty special. I’m sure he’ll remember that and it’ll get played a few times.”

manutd.com

Phil Jones : We have proved people wrong

About the Match Winning against the Kop

“We have proved people wrong up to now,”

“People can assume and predict, and it is up to us to prove them wrong. That is what the lads enjoy doing. We enjoy proving them wrong. So far we have done that. But we said before the Liverpool game that not everything was riding on this match. We have another eight massive fixtures coming up with some tough ones away and at home. We know we are in for a difficult last eight games.”

“People criticising does spur you on. You are always going to get critics. We are at a massive club here at Manchester United and if things aren't going as well as they should be then there are always going to be people wanting to have a dig and a pop at you.”

“We just take it on the chin. It is water off a duck's back. We know if we continue to produce performances like this week and last week then we will be fine. We have been well aware of the criticism we have had. We are professionals and we are in a job where people have an opinion about you and they are entitled to it. We just have to get on with it.”

About His Duet with Chris Smalling for Replacing Rio Ferdinand & Nemanja Vidic

“It has been difficult for us,"

"It had been documented that me and Chris were going to be the next centre backs at United but it has not gone how we would have liked it. Somebody told me the other day that we have actually only played alongside each other about four times in four seasons.”

“You cannot build a partnership on four games. Hopefully now we have had back-to-back games together we can keep it going and keep playing well together. We complement each other well. It is not just Chris and I going for the position though. We have some great players in the squad. Marcos Rojo has come in and been terrific. He has been a great addition to this squad. It [the competition for places] is healthy. It is what we expect and what we want.”

manutd.com

Jose Mourinho : We got what we deserved

About the Game

‘We let the lead go but we played fantastic football with the ball from the first minute,’

‘When at half time it’s 2-2 and you want to win the game, the most important thing is to play how we did from the start, that’s what I told the players. There was no point analysing details and mistakes. We had to get back to playing the football we lost in the last 15 minutes of the first half.’

‘From the first minute of the second half we went back to quality football, creation and movement. Sooner or later the goal was going to arrive.’

‘In the second half we played, there was a difficult situation on the break when Thibaut had to make three saves in a few seconds. After that we created and tried everything, so I think we deserved it.’

‘If we didn’t win the game after the way we played we would have had the same feeling as Southampton. Today by winning we got what we deserved and it’s a good feeling.’

About Hull’s second goal
‘If we tell our goalkeeper every time he has a back pass to kick it in the stands the second goal wouldn’t happen but we don’t do that. He tried to play, lost the rebound, the defenders didn’t open a passing line to play from the back and it’s a goal. Everybody was unhappy. It was just a question of stability, emotional control and playing.’

About Diego Costa
‘It’s a hamstring injury. When a striker is playing, the team needs a goal to win the game and he says it’s over for him, it’s over. He tried to play the Champions League final with Atletico and was injured, he has that fragility, we know his hamstring is not a strong one. He works hard in the week to compensate for the weakness he has there but the injury can come. We have Remy and Drogba, we never cry about injured players so let’s move on.’

About Loic Remy Contribution
‘Every time he plays he’s there. He probably deserves more than what I’ve given him. Sometimes a coach can feel he owes something to a player and with Remy that’s the case. I think I owe him something, every time he plays he gives us a lot, I’m so happy for him because he deserves it.’

About the Competition
‘The title race should be over, in normal conditions Chelsea should have eight, ten or 12 more points than we have but football is unpredictable. The reality is that we have a six-point lead, the best situation we’ve had all season.  The maximum distance we had was eight points but at that point we had 20 matches to go. At this moment we have a six-point lead with one match in hand, which could help us or not. I’m pretty confident, I believe in my players, I believe we can do it but I know it’s difficult.’

chelseafc.com

Steven Gerrard : I take full responsibility for my action

"I need to accept it, I think the decision was right. I've let my teammates and the manager down today, and even more importantly let all of the supporters down.”

"I take full responsibility for my action. I've tried to jump his tackle when I've seen his studs and I've reacted wrong.”

"I've been in the game long enough to know when you do something like that...especially with the timing of the game - 45 to play with a great opportunity to get back into the game. I take full responsibility for it."

"I don't know [what caused it]. It was probably just a reaction to the initial tackle, but I don't think I should say too much more on it, really.”

"I've come to speak to apologise to everyone in the dressing room and all of the supporters all over the place because I take full responsibility for today's result."

liverpoolfc.com

Juan Mata : It feels amazing

“It feels amazing,”

“The game was massive for us because of the position in the table, the rivalry and the history between the two clubs. I think today is the happiest day since I came to the club. I am very happy for the fans, for the team and happy with the performance and the three points.”

“The second goal was nicer, it was a good pass from Angel [Di Maria] and I just tried to score with my first touch. But overall I think the performance of the team was the key for the win. I am very happy because of the goals, but I am happy about how we performed, how we defended. We knew that Liverpool were going to push until the end and we fought.”

 “I think we played better against 11 players than against 10,”

“It was tense, they had nothing to lose and they were more dangerous [in that situation with 10 men], where you just have to be offensive and create chances. And they have the players to do it. I think we kept our shape well and didn’t allow so many chances. It’s tough to play here at Anfield but it was a great game.”

“The first half was very good, like against Tottenham, and I think the team is reaching that level that we should play at. We have the players to do it and it is very important that the team is performing at the best level at the most important stage of the season. We have to carry on and keep winning and winning.”

“This win is important, but it’s no more than three points. We have some very important games to go against direct rivals. But you could feel from the beginning of the week how much the supporters wanted us to win here. It’s a massive game, the biggest in England, and that is why we are very happy.”

manutd.com

Vincent Kompany : We'll be doing our best to win our remaining games

"We needed this win to help restore everyone's confidence”

"There are another 24 points to play for and we have to do our best to get as many wins as we can.”

"Can we win them all? Of course we can but we know that even if we do, it might not be enough because there are no guarantees, but we will be doing our best.”

"We needed to put some things right today and I think we did that. We are team who only wants to win games so this victory was very important.”

"Football is very simple - if you win, you're the best, if you lose, you're no good. All I can say us we'll be doing our best to win our remaining games and see where that takes us."

mcfc.co.uk

Didier Drogba : It’s a crucial moment

‘It’s a crucial moment where every point is important, even one,’

‘Because we drew in the last game against Southampton we have to go to Hull City and win.’

‘You know the points you lose at home you have to win back away, and if you don’t you are in trouble. I think we will because we have been top of the league since day one, that tells you something, and if we are focused, if we are concentrated, we can do it.’

‘We are lucky because I think we have one of the best jobs in the world,’

‘You spend time with your friends for one year, sometimes more - six or seven years - so you know each other very well and sometimes you can have fun, but it doesn’t interfere with the real action, the football.’

‘We have fun, and we laugh, yes, but then when it’s time to play you have to concentrate and focus. We know that.’ 

chelseafc.com

Olivier Giroud : I am lucky to have great players around me

“I’m not superstitious,”

“I started this game like normal and I am lucky to have great players around me who know me very well, so I try to put it in the net and that’s all I want.”

“I got a bit lucky for the first one but I anticipated Danny’s deflection and for the second one, Santi knew where to put the ball and I tried to win my duel.”

“It’s nice for the team because we are on a really good run, even if we were disappointed about the Champions League - we want to finish really strongly and finish in the best position by winning every single game.”

“There’s still eight games to play so we need to focus on our games and step by step we’re going to see. First we need to win every single game and then after we need to see if City or Chelsea miss one of these steps.”

“You never know, you have to believe in football and that’s why we want to win every single game.”

Arsenal.com

Harry Kane : I’m loving every minute

“I’m delighted to score the hat-trick but the most important thing was to get the win,”

“Credit to Leicester, they never gave up and we didn’t expect anything less because they are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table.”

“We had a few chances at 2-0 when we could have put the game to bed but we didn’t take them and Leicester came back and punished us.”

“It’s always tough to give away the lead when you have been 2-0 up, to get hauled back and then you have to find that extra gear again but we found that gear and we’re delighted to win the match.”

“I’m loving every minute,”

“I’m trying not to think too much about it, just trying to play my game and trying to help the team to get wins.

“It’s gone well so far and hopefully there are more weeks like this, it has to be right at the top of my career so far.”

tottenhamhotspur.com

Nacho Monreal : I feel very well with a high confidence

“I’m very happy with the games that I’ve played,”

“This season I feel very well with a high confidence and I’m playing most games. I feel fit so I’m happy with my game.”

“I would like to get back and play for the national team but I know it’s very difficult because there are three or four other players at the moment who play left back and they are younger [than me].”

“It’s complicated but I’m very happy because I’m playing really well for Arsenal. I will try to do it and if I play for Spain one more time or more, I will be proud.”

Arsenal.com

Jose Mourinho : In two months we can be champions

‘Confrontational leadership is when you are ready to provoke your players, create some conflict with the intention to bring the best out of them,’

‘At this moment I don’t need that with this group because things are going in the direction I want. I’m happy with everything.’

‘You can say we lost in the Champions League and we lost against Bradford, okay, but generally the way they work, the way they behave, their motivations, responsibilities, frustrations, the way they react to positive and negative moments, the absence of complacency, all of that is going well. I just need to be present, I don’t need to be a big leader or try to find different strategies.’

About Eden Hazard Critics in Last season

‘Maybe it was just his maturity and level of ambition arriving,’ said the Chelsea manager. ‘I don’t think it was me with that episode. For example, when he was named Young Player of the Year it was no big thing for him, he wasn’t particularly emotional because he doesn’t want to be the best young player, he wants to be the best player.

‘It was a natural evolution on his part, he wants to win titles, be the best, improve his game and score more goals. It was an accumulation of experiences and feelings. I still call him a kid but he’s a man, a main player. He can get better but he’s reached a fantastic level and a high level of stability.’

About 4 times draw in 6 matches

‘When you start well and score before the opponent it means the gameplan, team selection, tactics and attitude of the players was correct, so it’s better to start a game by scoring than not,’

‘Against Tottenham and West Ham we won the game, in other matches the opponent has equalised. At West Ham we tried everything to score more goals; [Aaron] Cresswell saved on the line, there was a fantastic save from a Ramires header, Eden and Ramires both had shots. Against Southampton we had a fantastic second half and could have scored more goals but we didn’t. It’s difficult, that’s football.’

About the League

‘Now we can work in a way we couldn’t when we were in all of the cups, with good training sessions, good exercises, preparing the team specifically for a certain game and analysing opponents with more time,’

‘I want to focus on that, there are two months to go and in two months we can be champions.’

chelseafc.com

Fernando : The City fans haven’t seen the best of me

“We played very well that day but they have changed their coach since that game and they have improved a lot so it won’t be the same as last time,” said Fernando.

“I enjoyed that game because I scored my first goal, but I can still give the team a lot more because I don’t think I’ve been anywhere near my best this season.

“I think after one season in the Premier League, you will see the best of me because I will have one year in the Premier League under my belt and I know the pace, physicality and power of football in this county much better.”

 “I have a specific job in the team so goals are not necessarily what is expected of me, but I hope to chip in with a few more next year.

“Only by winning each week can we create pressure on them – every time we drop points we are making it easy for them so now, with only the Premier League to think about, we have to go for it and try and win all our remaining matches. It won’t be easy bit we can do it if we focus and play to our optimum levels.”

“The City fans haven’t seen the best of me,”

“I like it Manchester – it’s very different here but I’m very happy and next season, I will know my team-mates better and you will see the best of me.”

“I can’t think about playing for Brazil until I show my best form for City, so playing for my country can only happen if I’m playing well here. Right now, nothing else matters.”

mcfc.co.uk

Angel DI Maria : We are ready for Liverpool

“We are all aware that a number of big games are just around the corner, and the season will be decided by these fixtures,"

"We know all about these upcoming games and we have been thinking and talking about them for quite some time now. We've known that everything would be at stake over this final period of the season.”

"Everyone at the club is 100 per cent confident, we know we want to get back into the Champions League and that we want to be fighting it out. We'll battle hard right to the end of the season. From what I know of the club, United always fight right to the end and that’s what we’re going to do."

manutd.com

Manuel Pellegrini : It is very difficult to beat Barcelona, especially with Messi

About the League

“We all want to continue in the Champions League , but we need to improve in Europe. In the last two years we have improved because we have qualified for the last 16. In both of those years we have played against Barcelona, but in the other years we didn’t qualify past the group stage.”

“Maybe it was not our best chance to continue in Europe this year because we have important restrictions on the amount of players and amount of money we can spend, so it was a difficult year for our team in that sense.”

“But I think if we weren’t drawn against Barcelona we might have had a chance to continue.”

About the Game

“We lost against a better team, without doubt. It is very difficult to beat Barcelona, especially with Messi,”

 “In the first half we lost too many easy balls, we have technical players and we must keep more of the ball. However, I think Barcelona played very, very well which is why we didn’t create many chances in the first half. “

"We needed to score two goals and we thought it might happen had we scored the penalty. That was a very important moment because we had 15 minutes more to play.”

“In the second half we created more when we had to take the risk to go forward but I think in the first half we could have done better with the ball.”

“Maybe we can think about what would have happened if we had scored the penalty but we didn’t and finally they won the game.”

About the Tactics

“In the four games we have played against Barcelona we have played with four different formations, so it is not a problem. The problem is the performance.”

mcfc.co.uk

JOE HART : THE REAL HERO

Joe Hart :

“I’m in there to make saves, they hit me a lot tonight, I just tried to make myself big, but we move on,”

"It’s West Brom next, and a big shout to the fans who came here again up in the clouds we really appreciate them coming and we know we’re going to turn up on Saturday afternoon and will be ready to go again."

Media Said :

Daniel Taylor – Guardian:

“Joe Hart put on one of the outstanding performances of his life to keep the score down and Messi must feel perplexed that he could decorate the game so elegantly yet be deprived of another goal for his personal collection.”

Ian Herbert – Telegraph:

“Joe Hart put in one of the finest displays of English goalkeeping in living memory.”

Nick Miller – ESPN FC:

“Joe Hart was simply phenomenal in the Camp Nou, stopping countless one-on-ones as Barcelona sliced through the Manchester City defence like it was warm Camembert only to come up against the rock-hard gruyere of the keeper.”

Stu Brennan – MEN:

“Defied Barca single-handedly at times in the second half, with a masterclass of goalkeeping in one-on-one situations 10/10.”

David McDonnell – Mirror:

“Produced a series of fine saves and kept City's hopes alive with an inspired display.”

Other Player Said

James Milner:

“There’s not too many words you can say - incredible really. He’s shown what a great keeper he is and it’s not the first time he’s done that for us in Europe.”

Lionel Messi:

"Hart is a phenomenon, he saved everything today. I think we did everything to deserve a lot more, we had a lot of clear chances but the keeper had a brilliant game. We can only congratulate him.”

Andres Iniesta:

"I don't remember a game with that many saves. It was incredible. We congratulated Hart."

mcfc.co.uk

Mesut Ozil : We Proud of Ourselves

“I want to praise the whole team,”

“We dominated the whole game there and gave everything. We couldn’t find that last goal but we can be proud of ourselves.”

“We knew that Monaco would make it difficult for us by playing defensively. We dealt with that very well and created a number of opportunities, that we unfortunately didn’t convert.”

“We can be satisfied with that. We’ve got lots of important games coming up, especially in the FA Cup, where we’re in the semi-finals again.”

“In the Premier League everything is possible and we have to look forward now. We have important games in front of us that we want to be successful in.”

arsenal.com

Per Mertesacker : We can beat any team in the world

“[We feel] very good, very positive,”

“We have to cope with difficulties and criticism in our job, that is part of it, but we have a good chance to repair it."

“We want to do better and make better decisions. We did something wrong [in the first leg], but can we learn from that and put another performance in? We need another performance and obviously it is not going to be easy, but we have to show a different face.”

“We have moved on and improved a lot, so that’s why we are very confident that, even away from home, we can beat any team in the world.”

arsenal.com

Arsene Wenger : The Desire is There, the Belief is There

Champions League Preview :
Arsene Wenger Interview

About Stats : No team has turned around a two-goal deficit in the away leg of a Champions League tie

"The statistics don’t matter," he said. "They are against us. The result from the first leg is against us, we’re conscious of that.

"But no matter how big the percentage is, we are going to give absolutely everything to make the stats lie. That’s our desire and that’s our belief we can do it."

About Olivier Giroud

"He owes a great performance for himself as all the greatest strikers want to do as well as possible on the pitch,"

"He missed a few opportunities in the first leg but what striker doesn't miss an opportunity?

"I really think he is at the international level. I believe this. He has the right mental level. We have to trust the people who play at this kind of level.

"We will need to be really creative up front in order to create some opportunities,"

"We had a lot of chances in the first leg actually, more than people said. It is true that Giroud didn't manage to convert. But now he is in better condition. He got over the disappointment of the first leg and will do everything to be at the top level."

About his comeback to Monaco

"For me, it is very special moment,"

"I was a young coach here at Monaco… I have a lot of respect for Monaco and I want to thank the whole club."

"Tomorrow will be a Champions League game, and the experience I have gained can help me to make the right decision," he added. "I am able to separate the emotion of coming back and the importance of the game. I am here for work and my job is for my club to win."

About France

 "It is a bit of a concern if it rains a bit but I just went up there and it’s good, very good," he said.

"When it rains in the south of France, it rains, it doesn’t drizzle. They had to postpone a game recently against Montpellier because of the game but apparently the conditions will not be bad on the rain front."

"The French level is very good," he said. "I always had the highest respect for the French league, because when we play against a French team we always have a mountain to climb as they are physically ready, well organised and I think in France they are up for Europe as well, very focused on it.”

"It is always very difficult to play against French teams. Having said that, our record with Arsenal in France is absolutely outstanding. We have always done well here."

About the Opportunities

"Ideally you want always to score early goals,"

"but I believe you just have to play with full power, not forget your organisation and structure in the team and the goals come when they come. We must focus on the quality of your game on both sides, defensively and offensively. Nobody can predict when the goals will come.”

"You can expect us to show a different side to our game. We totally missed the first leg against Monaco, which was surprising. We did not play well, but sometimes in life if you miss a chance you do not have a second chance, We do, so we will play it fully."

"The desire is there, the belief is there,"

"Football is not predictable but I can predict the desire and belief will be there to do well. We play in the Champions League last 16, we have experience and we know that anything can happen. As long as we believe we can do it, I am confident we will."

arsenal.com

Joe Allen : About Important Winning againts Swansea

Liverpool 1 - 0 Swansea ( March 16, 2015)

About the Game

"The manager said we needed to be better in all aspects of our game, and that was fair enough,"

"We weren't quite at the races. But we tweaked a couple of things; we limited them to very little in the second half and obviously got the goal ourselves."

About his Performance

"I've spoken time and time again about the effect injuries can have on the momentum you get with performances and time out there.

"Thankfully, it was one game. We were pretty confident it would only be that game. It was great to be back out there and part of another winning performance."

About the Competition Race

"It will be significant, I'm sure,"

"It's one that as players you always look forward to.

"It was important, with them getting three points at the weekend, that we answered with three points ourselves to keep within touching distance."

liverpoolfc.com

Brendan Rodgers : It's a Great Victory

Liverpool 1 - 0 Swansea (March 16, 2015)

About the Winning

"It was a wonderful demonstration of the character and resilience in the team, especially [after] how we played in the first half."

"Any system you play in the game doesn't work unless you have that ability to work, and we just weren't anywhere near it in the first half. But that resilience and character kept us in the game."

"We knew we were going to be better in the second half, we changed the structure of the team a little bit and then I thought in the second half we really dominated the game."

"You can see whenever the team isn't quite pressing how we want then it becomes a little bit broken, like it was in the first half."

"We pressed the game and shortened the pitch much more in the second half. We got the goal and had opportunities to get a few more."

"We know that we have the capacity to win games. Our away record over the last two years is really strong.

"You see the resilience in the team and when we're not playing so well, we've still got that organisation and resolve to keep a clean sheet.

"In the second half we were much more fluent in our passing and movement. We played the most part of the game in their half. We didn't have too many scares in the second half.

"It's a great victory, it's a difficult place to come here and we're very happy."

About Strategy

"People who know me and have watched my teams regularly from when I was a youth coach, my teams have played 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 diamond."

"If you look at Swansea tonight, they were a diamond and we were a box in midfield, and they got between us quite well I felt because they've got good players and they passed it well."

"We've prepared that in training for if we have to flip and you see the difference it can make. The players went smoothly into it."

"You push the sides further up, so it's a 3-4-3 but in a different format. We pushed Raheem [Sterling] higher up the pitch onto the full-back, [Alberto] Moreno went right high and then the diamond occupies the spaces in midfield.

"They play with two front players, but we still go three versus two at the back and then that allows us to have the extra numbers. It worked well for us."

About 13 games unbeaten in the division since mid-December.

"I'm proud whichever way [we win]," 

"We work very hard first and foremost on how we defend.

"It's not just about the style, you have to have a foundation and the foundation for that is how we press the game."

About Steven Gerrard As Substitution

"What we did in the second half was run more without the ball, that notion for the team that you've got to move not just when you have the ball, you've got to run off it.

"We talked at half-time about penetrating and options for the guy in possession. Steven came on and offered that calmness.

"We switched to the diamond in the second half. He came in and fitted into the bottom of that. His calmness and control was very important in that."

"You have to pay respect to the team."

"They've been playing very, very well and getting results. Collectively over the last three months we've been in great form."

"But, of course, Steven has been out for a considerable period of time. He's fit [now] and you saw him in the game today how important he is when he came on."

About the Competition

"We can now really look forward to that. Tonight, whatever, we needed a result - so to get the victory was a huge result for us."

"At home, we look forward to going into this game - they're massive games, great games to be involved in."

"Hopefully, it'll show the strides we've made since we played them a number of months back. For that, I have to give immense credit to the team."

"We've put ourselves in a great position. There is still a lot of work to go so we'll recover now and get ready for the weekend."

"[The target is] to finish as high as we can. Everyone talks about fourth but it's the same every year for me. We do the best we can do."

"Manchester City's result at the weekend gives us an opportunity to finish second, so our mentality, the run and confidence we have at the moment we're just going to take that into every game and see where it takes us."

"We've clawed our way slowly back into it. We knew it was going to take time being so many points behind, but to get back to this level of consistency is very, very impressive."

"We've still got a lot of work to do, but we're on the right pathway."

liverpoolfc.com

Mourinho : No time to cry. Move on, and look forward.

"They deserved to win,"

"When a team cannot defend two corners and concedes two goals from a corner a team doesn't deserve to win.

"We couldn't cope with the pressure of playing with one player more and playing at home. For me it was a surprise."

"For them it was easy with 10 men – defensive organisation, two lines of four, Cavani in attack, waiting for the right moment at a corner or from a mistake. Mentally they had nothing to lose. I know that feeling having played with 10 men in the Champions League."

"They were experienced, they were good. We deserved to be punished."

"I'm disappointed but I always try to be pragmatic. When the opposition was better than us the first feeling is that we deserved to lose."

"To analyse the situation is the next step. We need to react. We have a Premier League to win. I told that to the players. We lost a competition where even if we had won today we would have had many stages to get through and good teams to beat."

"We are in a good situation. It's not time to cry; it's also not time to laugh. It's time to analyse what happened."

"We must come here on Sunday to the same stadium, and the same players have to go on to the pitch and make one more step towards winning the Premier League, because if we win the Premier League and the Capital One Cup it's still a fantastic season for us."

"No time to cry. Move on, and look forward."

chelseafc.com

Exclusive Interview : Daniel Sturridge's Comeback

Daniel, it's great to see you back at Melwood. Firstly, how are you feeling at the moment, both physically and mentally?
I'm feeling great, looking forward to getting back into action and helping my teammates.

We know you've recently returned from a period in the United States. How useful was that for your rehabilitation?
It was hugely important and I am thankful to the guys over there who helped me out, specifically Dan Dyrek, who works for Fenway and was very good. There was also a guy called Scott [Schrimscher] and there was Katz - there were a few people there who helped me out and I am grateful to all of them for the work they did for me.

What kind of work were you doing out there in America?
It was similar to stuff I would do here with the team at Liverpool and it was no detriment to them, it was just a change of environment and it was important for me, mentally, to get away. The staff at Liverpool are top-class, but over there it was a case of being in a different environment with weather and a different team of people which enabled me to improve in every way, shape and form. I am happy with how it went.

You say it's been a good time for you mentally - do you think you're a stronger person having been through something like this?
Yes, for sure. It just allows you to enjoy the moments that you don't enjoy when you're playing. You have successful moments, but you don't realise that you have to enjoy it. I am very hard on myself a lot of the time, so even if I have played well I am still looking at the bad points. It gives you time to assess things and time to assess what you need to do to get to where you want to be in life.

How important have your teammates and the manager been over the last few months? What kind of messages have they been sending you while you've been out?
It's been positive things, really. I've been away and I've kept my head down, but I've kept in contact with everyone. It was important for me to get away and just do what I needed to do, watch from afar and see my teammates and how well they were playing. It's been an important period for myself, but I am looking forward to the future and everything from now going forward is hopefully going to be positive.

You're coming back into the team at a good time. They've played very well over the last couple of months. It's certainly a positive, exciting period...
Yes, it is - very exciting. The lads have shown great character and it's been a defining few weeks for us in terms of performances. We were very unlucky in the Capital One Cup, but obviously it wasn't meant to be. We will learn from that and it will be big for everyone's future. We've got a very young squad - people don't realise how young our squad is. I am looking forward to maturing with everyone as a group and hopefully we can all stay together. Obviously the leader and the figurehead, Stevie, will be moving on but everyone is going to be like a sponge trying to take all the experience and the leadership that we can learn from him because he is a very hard person to replace. I am sure people will step up and will look to bring some success to the future of the club, just like he has done in the past.

liverpoolfc.com

Gary Cahill : Diego Costa is somebody you want in your team

"It's his character. It's the way he plays. He's a handful for a defender."
"One of his attributes, as well as his skills and scoring fantastic goals, is that he puts his foot in."
"He makes it difficult and uncomfortable for defenders."
"Would you change him? Probably not, and I don't think you should. Certainly as a team-mate, he's somebody you want in your team."
"It's a strength he has. You have seen how good he is with his feet and how skilful he is for a big guy but the way he has adapted to the Premier League - he is a physical guy."

bbc.com/

Shola Ameobi : I Enjoyed Working with Alan Pardew

“I'm very excited to be here, I wanted to get back in the Premier League and having worked with the manager before it's been great to come back and hopefully help us avoid the relegation battle,” he said.

“I had a couple of other clubs interested but I think my relationship with Alan [Pardew] and how much I enjoyed working with him was one of the big factor in my decision.

“He instils confidence in players and he always seems to get the best out of them, certainly he did that at Newcastle and hopefully he can do that for me and the rest of the lads here.”

cpfc.co.uk

Branislav Ivanovic : About Habit Scoring Important Goals

‘When you go one by one, first with two goals against Liverpool, I think it changed my career here at Chelsea. It gave me confidence, and proved that I could play at the top level in the Champions League,’
‘Napoli was very important on our way to winning the Champions League, and was a crucial game for the team,’ Ivanovic recalls, looking back on a tie in which we were trailing 3-1 from the first leg in southern Italy.

‘It was so difficult for us after the result away but at home we did it and there was a great atmosphere. I was lucky as well, as a right-back I am not normally in that part of the pitch during that period of the game.’
‘I don’t really have a favourite of those goals. All of them were important for the team, important goals in big matches,’ he says.

‘With the Europa League final, scoring a goal that gives a trophy for the team is of course important and, maybe, the most important goal because it gave us a European trophy. It is something special in the last minute, and of course I am still happy about it.
‘All these goals helped the team, but because it is not my main job there is not the pressure on me to do it, and so I am more relaxed.
‘When the game is equal, you know set-pieces or certain situations can help a lot, and when you are attacking in the late minutes there can be panic in the defence.’

And how does he now reflect on Tuesday night?

‘Finally, Liverpool on Tuesday was very important, maybe it didn’t make the difference because we did well and didn’t concede so we would have gone through on away goals, but for me personally it is important and a nice moment.
‘Of course there are many other important games we have played and other guys decided them for us, but maybe one in 10 games it is me, and it’s a great feeling. To make these memories is fantastic and very important to look back on.’

chelseafc.com