• Premier League

I'd swap places with City, says Mourinho

Jose Mourinho believes Samuel Eto'o struggles away from Stamford Bridge © PA Photos

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Jose Mourinho says he would swap Chelsea's place at the top of the Premier League with Manchester City's position of potential because they are in control of their title destiny.

His team hold a six-point lead over their City rivals but have played two games more and have an inferior goal difference, enabling the Portuguese to continue to play down his team's prospects.

Chelsea enjoyed a 3-1 victory at Fulham after a slow start on Saturday but Mourinho wants to keep the title pressure on others.

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Pellegrini insisted on Sunday that the quadruple was a realistic target following City's after his team's 3-1 League Cup victory against Sunderland and Mourinho, perhaps more convincingly than in recent weeks, said he would rather be in the Chilean's position than his own.

"I prefer to have the destiny in my hands, and only City have destiny in their hands," Mourinho said. "If I win every game until the end of the season, all 10 - which we won't - maybe we are not champions.

"If they [City] win all 12 games they have, they are champions. They have their destiny in their hands."

Andre Schurrle scored a hat-trick at Craven Cottage to secure the points for Chelsea and extend their lead at the top, with Mourinho opting to start Fernando Torres in attack over Samuel Eto'o.

Mourinho was recorded making disparaging remarks about Samuel Eto'o and Chelsea's strike force by French TV channel Canal+ last week but claimed that had no bearing on his decision to leave the Cameroonian out of his squad to face Fulham.

"There's nothing wrong with Samuel. I just felt in this kind of match - away from home, against normally defensive teams, aggressive defenders - I thought to go with Fernando [Torres] and, if I need to risk in the last part of the game I'd use Demba [Ba].

"You see, Eto'o scores goals but at home. He scores in the league, in the Champions League but all of them at home. Playing away is more difficult for him.

"I think he is our best striker to play at home because of his technique, his movement and his understanding with Eden [Hazard] and Oscar. For me, he is best to play at home. Away he is showing some difficulties."

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