The Reds came from behind to beat the Blues and move back into second place in the Premier League, as Man-of-the-Match poll winner Romelu Lukaku scored the equaliser and then set up the decisive goal for substitute Jesse Lingard in the 2-1 triumph at Old Trafford.
Mourinho, Lukaku, Chris Smalling and Scott McTominay all spoke to MUTV after the win and we have summarised their key points below.
Jose Mourinho: “I am delighted. I have to admit that they started better than us, but then we found our balance and even more than that – the players found the right spirit and the right attitude. I think we took a bit of time during the first half to adapt to a new position on the pitch – we played a little bit different to normal and for some players, it took some time to find the right timings to press and the right times to have the ball. In the second half, we improved our movement in attack and the full-backs got more confidence to come forward.”
Romelu Lukaku: “We realised that if we played a bit quicker between the lines, we would create space for ourselves and that's what we did. I was happy with the goal. [For the winning goal] I told him [Jesse Lingard] before the game that every time I go down the sides, he needs to make sure he gets in the box because I will find him. He did well with his run and it was a great finish. They [Chelsea] are in good shape and it's not easy but we showed our mental strength and in the second half we just dominated the game. Step by step we have to keep winning because we have a lot of difficult games coming up. We have to be prepared but the mental strength of our team is there and I think we're going to do well.”
Scott McTominay: “It’s obviously a third game in a week for me. I thought we all put a shift in for the team and it was a great win in the end. We came on strong in the second half and we looked the more dominant side and wanted to take the game to Chelsea. I thought we were in total control and it was brilliant to get the three points. When you go behind against any team, it’s not easy to come back – you have to dig deep and remain focused on what the game plan was. I thought we did well to respond so quickly and I thought it was a better performance from us in the second half.”
Chris Smalling: “I think it’s going to be a huge result. I think you could see on our faces at the end how much we wanted that and how much we celebrated that with the fans. In the second half, we upped our game, we had more aggression and the fans were right behind us because we lifted it. I think it shows massive character and I think in the first half we can be honest and say that it wasn’t good enough. We were probably lucky to go in at 1-1, but then in the second half, right from the start of the second half we showed that aggression, we were on the front foot and we really got after them.”
View from the opposition – Chelsea manager Antonio Conte: “We are disappointed with the final result. We had a great chance to get three points against a competitor for a place in the Champions League, but in the end we are talking about another defeat. When you have this type of situation, you have to manage the game better, and you must be able, with experience and maturity, to get three points.”
View from Twitter – @mankar_sahil: "A great win for #MUFC. Lukaku played well and showed his importance. Keep it up!"
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