"We have a really busy and exciting February and we are going to be seeing a lot of one another as five of the six games are at home and then we start the next month with a cup final at Wembley."
It is a tremendous feeling to go into February at the top of the Barclays Premier League, to have qualified for one domestic final, and to be through to the last sixteen in both the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup.
But it is important that we don’t sit back and think we have achieved anything yet. We are on a fantastic unbeaten run and we have achieved that by taking things one match at a time, preparing exactly the same way no matter what competition we are playing in and taking the momentum, confidence and training ground work on to the pitch.
Our win in midweek at Tottenham was one of our best of the season and although it took us above Arsenal, I think it’s too soon for us to be called the title favourites. There are a lot of matches to play and many of the top teams have yet to meet each other.
Of course if we continue to play the way we are, we will have chances to win, but it’s still early. There are still 45 points for everyone to play for.
At White Hart Lane we played some fantastic football in the first-half – we scored just one goal but we had three or four more clear chances to score. To win by 5-1 away against a team of the quality of Tottenham is not easy.
To achieve such a result all parts of your game have to be at their best. We defended very well when we had to and as a manager that is always what you are looking for - to be clinical in attack and resolute in defence.
It was a very good result for us but I don’t think that there are just three teams in the title race. I think that Arsenal and Chelsea are big rivals, Everton and Liverpool continue with chances, Manchester United continue with chances and, despite the score on Wednesday, Tottenham continue with chances.
In football you never know. As I said earlier, we have to play for 45 points more so many things are possible. Nothing should ever be taken for granted.
We saw that in the first half of the FA Cup tie with Watford when we went in 2-0 down and lacked some intensity. It was important the way we reacted in the second half.
It showed that the only way to win is to play well and if you don’t play well it’s very hard to win. The whole team didn’t do the things that we normally do in the first-half but we did in the second.
We will have to be at our best from the first minute tonight. Chelsea are a very good team and they have beaten us already this season although I thought we were unlucky not to get something from the game at Stamford Bridge where we played very well in the second half and we had control of the contest.
It is another important game at the top as we can go six points ahead of Chelsea if we win.
I welcome Jose Mourinho and his staff and hope everyone enjoys the game.
Manuel
