Jose Mourinho: Roman Abramovich LOVES the way we're winning the league
JOSE MOURINHO insists Roman Abramovich loves the way Chelsea are winning the title.
The Blues' gritty brand of football may have upset the purists, but Mourinho revealed their millionaire owner is embracing it - literally.
Chelsea maintained their 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League by grinding out a 0-0 draw at Arsenal on Sunday.
They will land the title with a wins at Leicester tomorrow and home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Abramovich was at The Emirates, the third successive game he has attended where his team have stifled their opponents with mainly defensives display.
"He's very happy - I saw him hugging the players in the dressing-room after the game," said Mourinho.
"He can be in Russia and live the game the same way he lives it in a box at Stamford Bridge.
“He's very happy - I saw him hugging the players in the dressing-room after the game”Jose Mourinho
"But yes, I think he's happy and I think every Chelsea fan is happy if we win the title.
"If we win the title, we have a fantastic Premier League with everything."
In the past, Russian tycoon Abramovich has demanded sexy football, sacking a succession of managers for not producing it, including 2012Champions League winner Roberto Di Matteo.
His top target was said to be Pep Guardiola - now at Bayern Munich - when the Spaniard was Barcelona boss from 2008-12.
Mourinho, who rejoined Chelsea after he left Real Madrid, added: "Barcelona beautiful game every week!
"When they were at their peak was when? When Real Madrid were champions? What is the beautiful game?
"For me, the beautiful game is to go to every game and know exactly the way you have to play and what you have to do.
"At Arsenal we were brilliant. Brilliant.
"A game where we were brilliant from the first minute."
Oscar will travel to Leicester and be assessed before the game after being flattened by Arsenal keeper David Ospina and taken off at half-time.
The Brazilian said yesterday: "Thanks everybody for your messages. I'm feeling much better!"
£7.5m Manchester United flop Bebe lined up for SHOCK return to English football
FORMER Manchester United flop Bebe is being lined up for a shock return to English football with Reading.
Royals boss Steve Clarke is considering a summer swoop for Bebe, 24, who Sir Alex Ferguson paid £7.5m in 2010 despite admitting he had never seen him play.
Bebe went on to make just six appearances for United and was farmed out on loan several times before finally being sold to Benfica last summer.
He has suffered a similar fate with the two-time European Cup winners, playing just twice before being sent out on loan to Spanish minnows Cordoba, where he has failed to score in 16 games.
Cherries close in on Premier League with victory over the Trotters
CALLUM WILSON fired Bournemouth to a £120m Premier League promotion miracle last night – barring a NINETEEN-goal swing on the final day of the season.
Hotshot Wilson scored his 23rd goal of the campaign as Eddie Howe’s heroes all but completed their amazing rise from Football League paupers to Premier princes with victory over 10-man Bolton.
Marc Pugh and Matt Ritchie were also on target for the rampant Cherries who only six years ago were one game away from dropping into the Conference and going out of business.
It will take a freakish set of results that the Circus of Horrors would be proud of to deny the tiny south coast club a place in the top flight.
The Cherries are three points above third-placed Middlesbrough with a goal difference of plus 50 to Boro’s 31.
Fans came prepared for a party but were kept waiting until the 39th minute for Pugh – a free signing from Hereford – to open the scoring.
Ritchie floated in a cross from the right touchline and Pugh controlled neatly on his chest before jinking past Dorian Dervite and curling a left-foot shot beyond Adam Bogdan from a tight angle.
The second goal a minute before half-time was worthy of gracing any of the great grounds they are set to visit next season.
Pugh’s left-wing cross was laid back by Wilson to Yann Kermorgant and he cushioned the ball into the path of Ritchie who let fly from the edge of the box.
The goal sparked a rendition of the Match Of The Day tune from the crowd but Kermorgant blew another golden chance 19 minutes from time when he blazed a penalty over the bar after Dervite had been sent off for tripping Wilson.
Wilson spared his strike partner’s blushes when he completed the rout in the 78th minute, tapping home Andrew Surman’s cross from close range.
Striker Adam Le Fondre wasted a great 14th-minute chance – Bolton’s only real opportunity – by heading straight at keeper Artur Boruc from 10 yards.
Then Bournemouth, who have now scored 112 times this season, laid siege to Bogdan’s goal.
Leading scorer Wilson was denied by a smart save from the Hungarian’s legs with only two minutes played.
Wilson also looked certain to score midway through the first half after rounding Bogdan inside the six-yard box but the Trotters stopper stuck out a glove to steal the ball off his toe.
Bogdan reacted brilliantly seconds later to push Ritchie’s piledriver behind for a corner after Wilson had pulled the ball back.
Home supporters poured into the pitch at full-time and Bournemouth can still clinch the title if theywin at Charlton on Saturday and already-promoted Watford slip up at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge unlikely to play again this campaign
LIVERPOOL'S late bid to gatecrash the top four has been hit by the news that Daniel Sturridge is unlikely to play again this season.
The Reds can turn up the heat on fourth-placed Manchester United with a win over Hull tonight.
But they will have to do it without Sturridge, who has been struggling with hip and thigh injuries and has not featured since Liverpool's FA Cup quarter-final replay against Blackburn on April 8.
Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers said: "We'll see if he's going to be back this season or pre-season.
"The key now is getting him back consistent and playing for the team.
"We'll do what's in his best interest. We have to protect Daniel and make sure he's going to be here over the next number of years, playing and playing to the level we all know he can.
"When he's been fit he's been brilliant for the team, the key now is to see if we can get him back fit and consistently playing.
“We'll see if he's going to be back this season or pre-season”Brendan Rodgers
"It has been difficult for Daniel. He is a good lad who obviously wants to play, wants to be working and helping the team.
"But it has just been one of those seasons for him."
Liverpool face Hull on the 25th anniversary of the day they clinched the last of their 18 league titles - courtesy of a 2-1 win over QPR at Anfield.
Having finished runners-up last season Rodgers' side are currently 19 points behind championselect Chelsea.
But Rodgers is certain he will deliver the prize Liverpool fans crave most.
"When I came in here it was a long way off," Rodgers added.
"The club was eighth and you'd never have even talked about.
"I have absolutely no doubt it will happen. I think it's a mark of how the club has moved forward, that there's such disappointment that we weren't challenging this year."
The Kop boss will make a striker his number one priority in the summer after seeing his side struggle for goals this season.
And Rodgers reckons his side are only a handful of players away from being genuine title contenders again.
"It's small in terms of what we need, but it's key to how we can function," he said.
Steve Bruce: We MUST beat Man United, Liverpool or Arsenal to stay in the Premier League
STEVE BRUCE says his team need to take at least one big-name scalp to ensure they survive in the Premier League.
Four of the Tigers' remaining five fixtures are at home - but three of those are against teams in the top five.
They take on Liverpool tonight before facing Arsenal on May 4 and Manchester United on the last day of the season.
Hull also face fellow strugglers Burnley at home as well as a trip to Tottenham.
Bruce said: "Any result against the big boys is great - we need a result against one of them and let's hope we can get it done early.
"If you're going to stay in this division, your home form's going to be imperative.
"We're quietly confident that, starting with Liverpool, we can get enough points at home to keep us up.
“Any result against the big boys is great - we need a result against one of them and let's hope we can get it done early”Hull
"We know we're capable of getting a result, let's hope we can grasp it."
Hull took a point from Anfield when the sides met in October and the Tigers stunned the Reds with a 3-1 win last season.
Bruce said his side could take inspiration from thatperformance and their win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, which kept them just two places a point above the relegation zone.
He said: "That was about the time we announced ourselves in the Premier League last year, when teams started to take notice of us.
"Proving that we weren't cannon fodder and we weren't going to be relegated, that was the big moment in the season for us.
"We defended well on that day but we always caused a threat. That's the thing you have to do.
"Nobody can be anything less than an eight out of 10 and that's always difficult.
"We need everyone at their peak. I hope Saturday has given the players a lift so they can play with a bit of swagger."
Hull fans voiced their opposition against Hull owner Assem Allam again during the win at Selhurst Park.
Allam is pressing ahead with his plan to change the club's name and fans held aloft a banner that read 'For the good of football we say no! Allam Out'.
But Bruce has called for the fans to get behind the team in the closing stages of the season.
He said: "Supporters have a massive role to play.
"The owners don't deserve that, in my mind. Secondly, this is a time when we all need to stick together. All the supporters and us, from top to bottom.
"We are up against it and need no distractions. It is hard enough when got a clear path in front of you with no distractions.
"We need them all behind the team and forget about a name change and any other grievances. We need them right behind the team."
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