Sunderland V West Ham at Stadium of Light : LIVE

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Sunderland V West Ham - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.

Poyet wary of Carroll threat

Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has warned his players to beware the unique threat of a resurgent Andy Carroll when the Black Cats take on high-flying West Ham at the Stadium of Light.

Former Newcastle star Carroll grabbed two goals as the Hammers soared to their current fourth place in the Barclays Premier League table with a 3-1 win over Swansea on Sunday.

And despite his side succeeding in shutting out both Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks, Poyet knows they will have to be fully focused to prevent more goals from the 6ft 4ins front man.

Poyet said: "Andy is special and different and I don't think you can find another one of him in the game right now.

"The adrenaline of being out for a while has brought him back at the highest level you can have and you need to be able to deal with that.

"It's a difficult game and we haven't had that kind of challenge yet of a player like Carroll, so the goalkeeper and the centre-halves and everyone else are going to have a difficult afternoon."

Having come through a gruelling period relatively unscathed - Sergio Aguero's mauling apart - Poyet has now switched his attention to his side's festive programme as he looks to build towards a repeat of last year's end-of-season form.

Fast-upcoming games against Newcastle, Hull and Aston Villa appear to represent more opportunity to turn a recent glut of four draws from their last five games into much-needed wins.

Poyet added: "The challenge is to win as many of the next four games as possible. We are not looking to have four draws and if they are normal games without any accidents we need to win.

"We are going to play the four to win and then the season will be totally different. Winning games puts you in a different situation - it brings your confidence back.

"Last year we started getting better during this time and we had a very good run of results and took it into January, so we are looking at this period in a very special manner."

Poyet is set to recall Steven Fletcher to his starting line-up after the striker was an unused substitute at Anfield following a slight knock which forced him off against Manchester City.

Sebastian Coates is available again after missing the game against his parent club but is likely to have to settle for a place on the bench, while Emanuele Giaccherini and Billy Jones are both still injured.

Poyet was buoyed this week by Connor Wickham's decision to sign a new four-and-a-half year contract, adding: "I'm very pleased because it wasn't easy.

"The time was great for us and Connor to get to know each other better and show what he's capable of. There are not too many young English centre-forwards free so it was important for us to tie down Connor for another four-plus years."

Stewart Downing insists West Ham are loving upsetting the odds after they gatecrashed the top four.

The Hammers are fourth in the Premier League ahead of Saturday's trip to Sunderland.

Boss Sam Allardyce spent a reported B#31million in the summer which was been dwarfed by the expenditure of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Summer buys Diafra Sahko, Cheikhou Kouyate and Aaron Cresswell have helped ease the pressure on Allardyce, who was one of the favourites to be sacked at the end of last season.

West Ham were fourth bottom on 14 points this time last year but Downing is revelling in being one of this season's surprise packages.

"It's good, teams have spent a lot of money and people expected them to be in the top four because of what they've spent but it doesn't always work that way," he told Press Association Sport.

"We have bought very well, the players coming in have settled well. Sometimes you see players coming to the Premier League struggle to adapt. It's a big plus for us."

Southampton and the Hammers have shocked the top dogs during the first half of the season and Downing reckons breaking the 'big four' stranglehold on the Champions League spots is important.

"I think it would be good for the league," he said.

"If you looked at the league at the minute you'd say it was false but we're there on merit, we've done well and we've played some big teams and played them off the park on the day.

"We've beaten Liverpool and Manchester City and ground out a win against Newcastle, which we would have lost last season. We have shown good qualities."

The Hammers head to the Stadium of Light on Saturday with ex-Liverpool winger Downing insisting they can maintain their European challenge thanks to their extra quality.

"We have to look at each game as it comes. It's a big thing for us, Christmas, hopefully we can get lucky with injuries and suspensions," said the 30-year-old.

"We had a difficult year last year, found it hard and were sucked in (to the relegation scrap) so this year we're playing with confidence.

"Selection gets hard and it's one the manager would like because he's never really had it. Everyone is fighting for their place and the step up in quality has been good this year."

Midfielder Mark Noble is Allardyce's only injury concern. The 27-year-old recently broke the record for Premier League appearances for a West Ham player but will not add to his tally due to a problem with his Achilles tendon.

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Poyet: Money can't buy derby joy

Gus Poyet says that even the richest man in the world could not buy the derby joy he and his Sunderland side experienced on Sunday.

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The Black Cats claimed a fourth successive victory over arch-rivals Newcastle and their third on the trot at St James' Park at the weekend to leave Wearside wreathed in smiles and the men who secured it experiencing "unique" emotions.

Poyet revealed even a post-match warm-down and an enforced prolonged stay on Tyneside could not spoil the party.

He said: "I know how much it means. We scored and we went ballistic and it was difficult to control the bench - imagine how much it means for them (the fans), who have been supporting this club all their lives?

"It was special. It's so special that it doesn't matter how long you have to stay at the ground, because we were held for a while. Normally you would have every single player complaining, 'Let's go'.

"Nobody complained, everybody was all right, everything changed. Even if you say to them to go and do a warm-down and they need to go back to the pitch, it was no problem this time.

"It's unique, it's the best part of football. It's not about money. I'm sure that the biggest multi-millionaire in the world would pay whatever money it takes to be part of that moment.

"And you know what? He can't because you need to be a football player or be involved in football to be there and feel it. It's not about money, it's about being good enough."

Poyet, who was installed as the club's new head coach in October last year, boasts a 100 per cent record in his three derbies to date having quickly gleaned just how important those games are to two clubs and their respective fans.

The win was just Sunderland's third in the Barclays Premier League in 17 attempts this season and while Poyet will now turn his attention to the Boxing Day clash with struggling Hull and the business of putting together back-to-back victories, he knows just what their latest success means to the supporters.

He said: "I'll tell you what, when you come here you know you need to win one or two games, especially these ones, and the times you win them, there is no better.

"I don't think they care too much about the rest, the fans, they just care about this one, and it's great to be on this side of it. There is no better feeling.

"Now we are already somehow thinking 'can we go one better when we play at the Stadium of Light?' Every single game now between us and Newcastle is going to be bigger because of that record."

Sunday's victory was all the more impressive as it came after Anthony Reveillere, the club's only fit specialist left-back, limped out of the warm-up with a calf injury, although one which has proved to be not as serious as was first feared.

Poyet said: "It's an injury, but it's a muscle tear. We were really worried because of the translation of what he felt, we were thinking it was something really bad.

"But in the end, it's just a tear and the normal time would be between three and four weeks. It's not lucky that he's injured, but we feared the worst, so it's not that bad."

Hugely-experienced skipper John O'Shea was asked to step out of central defence to plug the gap, and he performed his role with aplomb to win fresh praise from Poyet.

The Uruguayan said: "Experience, understanding, composure - it's great to have him. That's why he's the skipper. You don't pick them just by luck, you know what you need and it was easy."

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Altidore's woes continue in draw

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Jozy Altidore's Sunderland nightmare continued as his first-half horror miss consigned the Black Cats to their fifth draw in their last six matches at the Stadium of Light, 1-1 against West Ham.

Altidore's dismal goalscoring record now stands at one in 41 appearances for the club after he somehow contrived to fluff an effort from three yards out with the goal at his mercy.

Jordi Gomez put the home side in front with a 22nd-minute penalty but Stewart Downing dragged the Hammers level five minutes later with a deflected effort from the right flank.

Connor Wickham saw an 85th-minute drive tipped over by Hammers keeper Adrian but the best chance of a winner - Altidore apart - fell to former Newcastle star Andy Carroll.

Fresh from his resurgent performances against Swansea last week, Carroll hit a low drive from the edge of the box which passed Costel Pantilimon's left-hand post by inches with 89 minutes on the clock.

The Hammers had travelled north in buoyant mood on the back of three straight wins that had lifted them to the improbable heights of fourth place, and with top scorer Diafra Sakho restored to their starting line-up.

And the visitors quickly took control of the game against a home side struggling for goals and also possibly fatigue after a gruelling trio of fixtures against Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Anthony Reveillere's wayward defensive header let in Carl Jenkinson in the sixth minute but the on-loan Arsenal man saw his volley blocked by Pantilimon before Wickham booted clear.

Carroll made his first impact on the game in the 10th minute when he met a left-wing cross by the lively Aaron Cresswell with a header which squirted high and wide of target.

The hosts snatched the lead out of nothing in the 22nd minute when referee Phil Dowd pointed to the spot after James Tomkins was adjudged to have tripped Adam Johnson on the right side of the West Ham boss.

Angry Hammers boss Sam Allardyce had to be calmed by Dowd after Gomez duly put the Black Cats in front with a low spot-kick to keeper Adrian's left.

But seven minutes later the visitors were level when north-east native Downing cut in from an apparently unthreatening position on the right flank and hit a low shot which deflected off Gomez and flashed across Pantilimon into the back of the net.

Sakho shot wide from a tight angle in the 38th minute before Altidore's moment to forget, the big American making a complete mess of a cross from the right by Sebastian Larsson as he stood no more than three yards out from an unguarded net.

A low-key start to the second half saw few clear-cut chances for either side, with a Johnson free-kick punched clear by Adrian then Cresswell pushing a shot under Pantilimon at the other end only for the Sunderland defence to boot clear.

Altidore's afternoon to forget came to an end in the 62nd minute when he was replaced by Steven Fletcher and two minutes later Carroll came close for the Hammers with two quick-fire efforts, the second of which saw a lofted shot beat Pantilimon but land on the roof of the net.

Sunderland had a strong penalty appeal rejected in the 71st minute after Santiago Vergini's high ball into the box appeared to strike Winston Reid on the arm, then came Wickham's rising effort from which the visitors were fortunate to emerge unscathed.

Carroll came so close to being the hero again for the Hammers before five fractious minutes of injury time in which neither side managed to contrive a winner.

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Poyet: Now build on derby win

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Gus Poyet has urged his Sunderland players to use their derby success as a platform to belatedly kick-start their season.

Adam Johnson's 90th-minute strike - his third goal in as many trips to St James' Park - secured a 1-0 victory over Newcastle, who have now lost four times on the trot to their arch-rivals for the first time.

It was just the Black Cats' third Barclays Premier League win of the campaign and while Poyet was thrilled by it, he is adamant it must be the start of a concerted push up the table as he prepares for Hull's Boxing Day visit to the Stadium of Light.

He said: "We always talk about confidence - there is no more confidence you can get than beating your biggest rivals in the last minute. If somebody thinks differently, they have never played football, never played a derby.

"Now next week, there are no excuses. Confidence should be high, so we are able to create chances against Hull. We need to put the ball in the net. That's the good thing, no excuses. These are the games I really like."

Even if Johnson had not snatched the points at the death, Sunderland would have made the short trip back to Wearside with plenty of positives to take after enjoying the better of a game in which they had passed up a series of earlier chances.

But had it not been for the excellence of keeper Costel Pantilimon, they might have been trailing with the Romanian keeping out goal-bound efforts from Ayoze Perez and Moussa Sissoko.

However, Johnson, who Poyet later revealed was on the verge of being replaced with nine minutes remaining, popped up at the death to convert substitute Will Buckley's lay-off from close range to spark mass celebrations in the away dug-out and among the travelling fans.

The Uruguayan said: "If you ask me right now - it's difficult for me because of the feelings I have got - if it's better to win 3-0 or to win a game scoring in the last minute, I don't know which one to pick."

For opposite number Alan Pardew, the emotions were strikingly different as he surveyed a third successive defeat inside a nine-day period which has dispelled much of the optimism which had been fostered during an improved run of form.

Pardew said: "Today was a key game because the two fixtures we had, Arsenal and Spurs, were difficult. But this game now compounds that and we have to lick our wounds and prepare quickly for Manchester United.

"We have a tough run of games - we knew that - over this period, and this was always going to be a critical fixture, so losing it is very disappointing.

"We still find ourselves in a healthy place in the league, and the job now it to try to build on that."

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Poyet poised for tough sell

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Gus Poyet has echoed the sentiments of one of his Sunderland predecessors by conceding his club have to work overtime to attract top-quality players to the north-east.

Former Black Cats boss Roy Keane launched an infamous tirade in August 2007 in which he blasted "weak and soft" stars who "don't want to come [to Sunderland] because their wife wants to go shopping in London."

The mild-mannered Poyet did not go quite that far but he did acknowledge that geographical issues will make the job of luring improvements to the Stadium of Light in January all the more difficult.

Poyet said: "When you give certain types of players the option of going to London or the north-east in the same conditions, 99 from 100 will choose London and that's the reality.

"We have to be a step ahead - we have to do things better than those clubs in the south or in other countries in a nice place with different weather.

"We need to do something that will convince them to come to the north. On top of that it is even more difficult in January because clubs don't want to lose their best players, so everything needs to come together."

Poyet has seen his side's prospects improve after a gruelling week which saw combative draws against Chelsea and Liverpool which sandwiched a 4-1 home thrashing by a Sergio Aguero-inspired Manchester City.

Victory over West Ham on Saturday would give the Black Cats a major boost ahead of their festive fixture programme and could convince Poyet to stay the course with his current squad for the remainder of the season.

Poyet added: "When a player of more than decent quality becomes available there are too many people who want him. It's not going to be easy but it's not about quantity, it's about quality and if it's not quality then it's going to be no-one."

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Sunderland 1-1 West Ham: Match Report

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Sunderland 1-1 West Ham: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game as it happened.

Altidore's woes continue in draw

Jozy Altidore's Sunderland nightmare continued as his first-half horror miss consigned the Black Cats to their fifth draw in their last six matches at the Stadium of Light, 1-1 against West Ham.

Altidore's dismal goalscoring record now stands at one in 41 appearances for the club after he somehow contrived to fluff an effort from three yards out with the goal at his mercy.

Jordi Gomez put the home side in front with a 22nd-minute penalty but Stewart Downing dragged the Hammers level five minutes later with a deflected effort from the right flank.

Connor Wickham saw an 85th-minute drive tipped over by Hammers keeper Adrian but the best chance of a winner - Altidore apart - fell to former Newcastle star Andy Carroll.

Fresh from his resurgent performances against Swansea last week, Carroll hit a low drive from the edge of the box which passed Costel Pantilimon's left-hand post by inches with 89 minutes on the clock.

The Hammers had travelled north in buoyant mood on the back of three straight wins that had lifted them to the improbable heights of fourth place, and with top scorer Diafra Sakho restored to their starting line-up.

And the visitors quickly took control of the game against a home side struggling for goals and also possibly fatigue after a gruelling trio of fixtures against Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Anthony Reveillere's wayward defensive header let in Carl Jenkinson in the sixth minute but the on-loan Arsenal man saw his volley blocked by Pantilimon before Wickham booted clear.

Carroll made his first impact on the game in the 10th minute when he met a left-wing cross by the lively Aaron Cresswell with a header which squirted high and wide of target.

The hosts snatched the lead out of nothing in the 22nd minute when referee Phil Dowd pointed to the spot after James Tomkins was adjudged to have tripped Adam Johnson on the right side of the West Ham boss.

Angry Hammers boss Sam Allardyce had to be calmed by Dowd after Gomez duly put the Black Cats in front with a low spot-kick to keeper Adrian's left.

But seven minutes later the visitors were level when north-east native Downing cut in from an apparently unthreatening position on the right flank and hit a low shot which deflected off Gomez and flashed across Pantilimon into the back of the net.

Sakho shot wide from a tight angle in the 38th minute before Altidore's moment to forget, the big American making a complete mess of a cross from the right by Sebastian Larsson as he stood no more than three yards out from an unguarded net.

A low-key start to the second half saw few clear-cut chances for either side, with a Johnson free-kick punched clear by Adrian then Cresswell pushing a shot under Pantilimon at the other end only for the Sunderland defence to boot clear.

Altidore's afternoon to forget came to an end in the 62nd minute when he was replaced by Steven Fletcher and two minutes later Carroll came close for the Hammers with two quick-fire efforts, the second of which saw a lofted shot beat Pantilimon but land on the roof of the net.

Sunderland had a strong penalty appeal rejected in the 71st minute after Santiago Vergini's high ball into the box appeared to strike Winston Reid on the arm, then came Wickham's rising effort from which the visitors were fortunate to emerge unscathed.

Carroll came so close to being the hero again for the Hammers before five fractious minutes of injury time in which neither side managed to contrive a winner.

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Sunderland 1-4 Man City: Match Report

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Sunderland 1-4 Man City: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game as it happened.

Aguero at the double in City romp

Sergio Aguero turned on the magic once more as Manchester City maintained the pressure on Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea by cruising to a 4-1 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Aguero rammed home his 18th goal of the season two minutes after Connor Wickham had given the hosts a shock early lead and scored again with 19 minutes remaining as City turned on the style to shatter a four-year hoodoo against the Black Cats.

City had been downed by Sunderland 1-0 in each of their four previous league visits to the north-east and a repeat performance might have been on the cards when Wickham got a fortunate deflection off Pablo Zabaleta's attempted clearance to put his side in front.

But Aguero quickly equalised, then played a delightful flick for Stevan Jovetic to put his side in front before the break - before second half strikes from Zabaleta and Aguero completed an impressive victory.

City looked like they meant business from the start with Jesus Navas sending in a cross which eluded Aguero's outstretched boot by inches with less than four minutes on the clock.

But utterly unfazed, the hosts sprang back within a minute when the recalled Will Buckley galloped into space on the right flank and crossed for former City man Jack Rodwell, who should have done better with two attempts which were both blocked by Zabaleta in the City box.

Sunderland grabbed a shock lead in the 19th minute when Sebastian Larsson threaded the ball towards Wickham. Despite Zabaleta getting his foot on the ball first, he could only deflect it into the net off the England Under-21 striker's foot.

But the lead lasted all of two minutes and Aguero's equaliser was as clinical as any of his previous 17 other goals this season as he ghosted past Black Cats debutant Sebastian Coates before lashing a rising effort past helpless home goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon.

Clearly becalmed after their early scare, the visitors turned down the pace and dominated the midfield for long periods before one more moment of Aguero brilliance gave them the lead six minutes from half-time.

Fed by an incisive through-ball from Toure on the edge of the box, Aguero played a neat flick into the path of Jovetic - who gratefully drilled his side's second under Pantilimon from close range.

Sunderland were struggling to create much in the City half but they still came close in first half injury time when a Larsson corner found the head of Rodwell and in the resulting melee the hosts had a penalty shout for handball against Fernandinho turned down.

City were in cruise control at the start of the first half, and after 10 minutes in which they passed the ball with aplomb and barely let the home side have a touch of it, they extended their lead with another well-worked goal in the 55th minute.

Samir Nasi picked up a short pass in the right side of the Sunderland box and fed Zabaleta, who produced a deft little chip to defy the onrushing John O'Shea and beat Pantilimon to put City 3-1 up.

Sunderland's problems had intensified in the run-up to the goal when Fletcher looked to have sustained a problem with his lower back and was replaced by Jozy Altidore for the restart.

As City sat back the hosts were given more of an opportunity to string together some moves but they consistently foundered in the final third as the City rearguard, which had shown signs of weakness in the early stages, casually mopped up the pressure.

And Aguero wrapped up a sensational individual performance in the 71st minute when he was picked out by City substitute James Milner and turned a deft shot past the helpless Pantilimon to complete the scoring.

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Sunderland V Chelsea at Stadium of Light : Match Preview

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Sunderland V Chelsea - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.

Poyet: Chelsea stronger than ever

Gus Poyet has acknowledged his Sunderland side face a mighty task to replicate last season's stunning league and cup double when Chelsea visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Poyet knows Jose Mourinho's new and improved version represent a very different proposition to the one that had to settle for third place last season after seeing their 77-game unbeaten home run ended by the Black Cats in April.

That famous win was not the only joy Poyet had against his old club during the last campaign as the Wearsiders also dumped Chelsea out of the Capital One Cup with an extra-time win in December.

Poyet, who described Chelsea's 5-0 midweek Champions League win over Schalke as the "perfect" performance, warned: "This is a different Chelsea - a better one and a stronger one than last year.

"They were strong favourites before the season started and now after the games we've played so far without a doubt they are even bigger favourites. They are the best team in the country by far.

"I watched the (Schalke) game and it was impressive - let's hope they're not perfect again. For us it is the biggest challenge by far and when you play against the best team you need to be at your best."

With Chelsea's title rivals Manchester City following Mourinho's men to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, Poyet must hope his side can invoke the spirit of last season's survival push when they managed to save their best for the big occasion.

Apart from their superb triumph at Stamford Bridge, the Black Cats also staged a smash-and-grab raid on Manchester United at Old Trafford and came agonisingly close to doing the same at champions-elect Manchester City.

Poyet added: "Last time we couldn't find a solution about beating the teams at the bottom and we always played better against the teams at the top.

"The idea this year is to maintain our performance against the top sides and be better against the lower sides. You have to do certain things and every player has to have a role.

"I think Chelsea do have weaknesses - things that happened in the past when we played them - but they are stronger this year than last year so it is going to be more difficult."

Poyet's injury worries continue to ease with the news that Argentinian midfielder Ricky Alvarez could make his first appearance since September after being ruled out with a knee injury.

The Uruguayan is keen to see a reaction from last weekend's frustrating goalless draw at Leicester which saw them slip back to 14th place in a tightly constricting top-flight table.

Poyet added: "There are four, five, six, seven teams above the rest and now people are talking about a relegation battle between 13 teams.

"You need to take these opportunities to challenge yourselves against the best. We have a very nice but a very difficult week, but that is why we are in the Barclays Premier League."

Sunderland midfielder Ricky Alvarez could make his first appearance since September.

The Argentina international has been ruled out for over six weeks with a damaged knee but came through training this week and has been named in Poyet's matchday squad.

Defender Sebastian Coates is also set to return to contention following a calf strain but Emanuele Giaccherini (ankle), Billy Jones (hamstring) and Patrick van Aanholt (shoulder) are all still out.

Jose Mourinho has dismissed the possibility of complacency creeping in at Chelsea as the runaway leaders prepare to face the side which inflicted their most recent Barclays Premier League defeat.

Chelsea are six points clear at the top of the table after 12 games and unbeaten in 19 matches in all competitions this season.

Mourinho's side beat Schalke 5-0 on Tuesday night to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League and now travel to Sunderland seeking to consolidate their position at the top of the standings.

It was the Black Cats who ended Mourinho's 77-game unbeaten home Premier League run in April in a bad-tempered meeting which remains Chelsea's most recent domestic defeat.

Some pundits and bookmakers expect Chelsea to romp away with the title, but Mourinho is adamant his squad will not get ahead of themselves.

"Complacency is not a risk we have," Mourinho said.

"It's not a profile of this group in this moment. We have all the other risks. The risks that belong to football - the risk of a bad period, injuries, unlucky matches, other teams growing up and becoming stronger...

"We were winning 5-0 against Schalke and (in) minute 88 Eden Hazard made a sprint to defend.

"There was a clear evolution and I don't think the group as a group can be complacent."

Mourinho denied complacency was a factor in the loss to Sunderland, which prompted an irate response from the Chelsea boss and his assistant Rui Faria, who was issued with a six-match stadium ban for criticising match officials.

He added: "I don't call that complacency. I call that other things. Lots of water passed already under the bridge.

"That match was impossible to win. But we move on."

So scintillating have Chelsea been at times this term that it is difficult for many to see how they can improve.

A link with Barcelona's Lionel Messi circulated on social media this week, but Mourinho dismissed that possibility.

"In this moment it's so easy to have non-truths circulating, it's so easy that some people put news without confirming (it)," Mourinho said.

"Obviously it's not true."

Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard have sparkled this season and been nominated for FIFA's team of the year.

Mourinho values collective honours over individual awards in a hint at the attitude which now prevails at Stamford Bridge.

"I think these kind of trophies are not good for football," Mourinho said.

"Sometimes it looks like we're looking for stars. We're looking for people more important than other people and this is not the culture we want in this club.

"The mentality here is not to be worried with that. And when I see Fabregas and Hazard, I think clearly they don't think about it.

"Clearly they think about the team, playing well and trying to win matches."

Mourinho has no fresh fitness concerns, with only young defender or midfielder Nathan Ake (hamstring) out.

The Blues boss has kept changes to a minimum this season, with his first-choice line-up well established.

But he praised those on the fringes for keeping him on his toes.

"From the ones that are not playing a lot, I don't have one single one that is not training very hard, that is not ready to help," Mourinho added.

"Life is easy when you are playing always and winning and feeling high in yourself esteem. Life is difficult when they are not playing, because a player was born to play.

"All these guys in my squad are for me absolutely fantastic. I'm so happy with them."

And Mourinho expects his side to continue to evolve and improve.

"There is much more to come," Mourinho said.

"We have a lot ahead of us. This team has all the conditions to be better.

"But I'm so experienced in this life that I'm not on the moon when I win, I'm not in hell when I lose. Balance.

"The players follow me in this. We are not jumping every day, we are not crying every day when things go wrong.

"We are very stable."

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Is Sunderland's Lee Cattermole really a match for De Rossi, Busquets and Co?

After Sunderland’s gutsy 0-0 draw with Chelsea at the Stadium of Light there has been quite a few people singing the praises of Lee Cattermole. Cattermole has been the soul of the Sunderland side for the past couple of seasons. His style of play is rather unflattering but then again so is the job he is put in the side to do. He never stops and he is a constant thorn in the side to attackers as he aims to break up the fluidity of his opponents play. Players like this do not often get the recognition they deserve and so I am more than happy that Lee Cattermole is being praised after this performance; especially after his recent past, which has been quite troubled. However, to say that he is better, or even on a similar plane to the top players in his position, throughout Europe, is utter madness, to be frank. The statistics show that he is the leading player in his position in terms of recoveries, blocks, and clearances. In terms of tackles, he is second only to Sergio Busquets of Barcelona. The other players he has been matched up against are Xabi Alonso, Blaise Matuidi and Danielle De Rossi.

To his credit Jaime Redknapp explains, “I’m not saying he is at the same level as them, but he should not be dismissed out of hand”. But, this only makes it even more confusing as to why social media has erupted with fans so convinced by Cattermole’s defensive statistics this season, that it is absolute fact he should be given the same consideration as the aforementioned stars. When I think of Cattermole as compared to the above it is hard for me to understand why he deserves the parallels. These defensive statistics are, for one, very basic. Do they say anything about consistency? Do they take into account the size of the club Cattermole plies his trade at, with no disrespect to Sunderland, as compared to the others? Cattermole’s play against Chelsea, at the weekend, should sway most fans into believing that he is capable of doing a job against players and teams of the highest caliber, because Chelsea arguably have as much quality as any other side in Europe. However, his concentration and the ability to play his game, week in week out, at the level he has shown he can must still be in question. For his entire career he has had disciplinary issues, both on and off the pitch, and although it seems he is turning a corner, it is much too early to say. For practically none of his career, aside from a UEFA Cup final run with Middlesbrough in 2006, has he been tested on the biggest stage at the top of the league and in Europe. I appreciate his current admirers because I am one of them. But, those who are so convinced by the “facts” as to put him up there with the likes of De Rossi, Matuidi, Alonso and Busquets need to have a bit of a rethink.

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Sunderland V Man City at Stadium of Light : Match Preview

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Sunderland V Man City - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.

Poyet targets another major scalp

Sunderland boss Gus Poyet is convinced his side's mental strength can help them claim another major scalp when Manchester City visit the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night.

The Black Cats' big-time heroics played a huge part in last season's unlikely march to survival and Saturday's gutsy goalless draw with Chelsea once again underlined their preference for the big occasion.

Add in a recent record against City which has seen Sunderland win all four of their previous clashes on Wearside 1-0, and it is no surprise the Uruguayan is in bullish mood as his side look to stretch their unbeaten run to five games.

Poyet said: "There is a mentality sometimes that when you play against the top teams, before you start the game you accept that if you lose nothing will happen.

"I don't think that's right - I don't think you are playing to the maximum if you accept that before the game. I think you have to be clear that it is going to be more difficult, but you will have a chance.

"On those terms the players have been exceptional because we stayed up last year because of that, and we showed last Saturday we can do it and we can try to stop the other teams doing what they like."

Poyet is under no illusions about the size of his side's task against a City side who sprang back to form with a 3-0 win at Southampton on Sunday, but who the manager believes remain second best to Jose Mourinho's men.

He added: "I think Chelsea right now look stronger in every aspect of their game but it's a long season and when you play in so many competitions it becomes very difficult to stay in all of them.

"They have got quality everywhere - they are one of the top clubs in the world and we have got to deal with that. But that's why we fought so hard last year to be here."

Sunderland's recent upturn in fortunes has coincided with the promotion of goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, who moved to Wearside on a free transfer from City in the summer.

Pantilimon pushed City's regular number one Joe Hart to the limit last season and since replacing former number one Vito Mannone he has excelled with two consecutive clean sheets.

Poyet said: "I think Costel had a great season last season over there - he proved he can play at that level so we are lucky to have him here.

"We've got two great goalkeepers and he knows he needs to perform or the manager won't hesitate to change him.

"He's come in and got clean sheets with the help of the rest of the players and let's hope he can maintain that level."

Poyet has no new injury concerns but may be tempted to freshen up his starting line-up with defender Sebastian Coates and midfielder Ricky Alvarez among those pushing to be included.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini is short of defensive options following the loss of Vincent Kompany to injury.

City's influential captain suffered a hamstring problem in the latter stages of the win at Southampton on Sunday and will not feature at the Stadium of Light.

That means Pellegrini will now have to field a different centre-back pairing as Eliaquim Mangala is suspended after his sending-off at St Mary's.

Right-back Bacary Sagna could therefore be pressed into action in the centre or fringe player Dedryck Boyata could be drafted in alongside Martin Demichelis.

Pellegrini said: "We have Dedryck Boyata, he is working very well, we have also Martin Demichelis, we have Bacary Sagna. So we have three options. We will see which two of them will play."

Matija Nastasic, who has been out of favour this season, might have been a possibility but Pellegrini revealed that he too is currently crocked.

The Chilean said: "Unfortunately for him, he is again injured. He has had two long injuries this season. He has a muscle injury in his thigh.

"I don't know if he will be able to work with the squad for one week more so he is not an option."

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Sunderland 0-0 Chelsea: Match Report

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Sunderland 0-0 Chelsea: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game as it happened.

Chelsea draw a rare blank

Willian and Santiago Vergini both hit the woodwork as Sunderland extended their run of good results against Chelsea with a 0-0 draw.

The Black Cats, who were looking for a third successive victory over Jose Mourinho's men inside 12 months, withstood periods of pressure.

But in front of a crowd of 45,232 at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland were not unduly stretched by the Barclays Premier League leaders.

Willian struck the foot of the post and Vergini clipped the crossbar in a tight first half, but apart from on those occasions neither Costel Pantilimon nor Thibaut Courtois was overextended, with the Romanian's block from Branislav Ivanovic the only troublesome save either had to make.

It proved a disappointing afternoon for the visitors, who failed to score for the first time this season, and striker Diego Costa was in danger of allowing it to get the better of him, appearing to kick out at defender John O'Shea and then catching Wes Brown with his arm in an aerial challenge, an offence which earned him a fifth booking of the campaign.

Chelsea arrived on Wearside having started the season with an unbeaten run of 19 games and hot favourites to extend it with a victory, although they were largely frustrated during a first half featuring plenty of combative action.

Sunderland, defending a more modest sequence of three games without defeat, sat deep when out of possession and although that policy invited pressure, they dealt relatively comfortably with what the visitors were able to throw at them.

The approach allowed Gus Poyet's men to hit the Blues on the break, and they did that to good effect twice within the opening nine minutes with Connor Wickham, once again starting wide on the left side of midfield, forcing a block from an uncharacteristically flustered Ivanovic and then firing over from long distance.

Chelsea started to exert concerted pressure as the half progressed, with Oscar forcing Pantilimon into a 13th-minute save, although one with little degree of difficulty, before he tipped Willian's 17th-minute strike on to the foot of the post.

It took a superbly-timed 23rd-minute challenge by O'Shea to deny Costa a clear run at goal from Cesc Fabregas' defence-splitting 23rd-minute pass, but Jack Rodwell tested Courtois for the first time with an effort from distance two minutes later.

Eden Hazard saw a well-struck 27th-minute shot blocked by the impressive Lee Cattermole with the game warming up.

Referee Kevin Friend did not endear himself to the locals with a series of decisions which did not go their side's way, and assistant boss Mauricio Taricco was sent from the bench on the half-hour mark after fourth official Lee Mason drew the senior official's attention to his protestations.

The visitors might have been ahead seconds later when Ivanovic got in on the right only to see his strike blocked by Pantilimon's foot, and the Black Cats very nearly took the lead when Cattermole's deflected 34th-minute cross fell nicely for full-back Vergini, whose snapshot clipped the crossbar.

As the whistle approached, the game became increasingly tetchy and Costa was fortunate to escape further punishment when he appeared to kick-out at O'Shea after a tussle on halfway.

Central defender Gary Cahill headed straight at Pantilimon from Willian's 49th-minute corner. Brazilian Brazilian flashed a fierce left-footed strike just wide two minutes later with Sunderland pinned back once again.

Costa incurred punishment from referee Friend after catching Brown with a flailing arm, although the home fans were unimpressed by the referee's decision to issue a yellow, rather than a red card, one which means he will miss Wednesday's clash with Tottenham.

Poyet replaced Rodwell and lone striker Steven Fletcher with Jordi Gomez and Jozy Altidore with 28 minutes remaining, and United States international Altidore was only just denied a header at goal by Cahill from Larsson's inviting cross.

Nemanja Matic fired straight at Pantilimon with 68 minutes gone, but it was Courtois who had to be alert to pluck Wickham's rasping drive out of the air at the second attempt with 18 minutes left on the clock.

Mourinho took off Oscar and Costa to send on Didier Drogba and Loic Remy with 76 minutes played, and Ivorian Drogba forced a diving save from Pantilimon within seconds.

But in a strong finish by the home side, Altidore saw a shot blocked amid a goalmouth scramble and then another effort dropped to Adam Johnson, who scuffed his effort harmlessly. Johnson blasted inches wide with three minutes left, with Sunderland then grateful late on when Drogba headed off target.

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Poyet wants to ruin Blues' run

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Sunderland boss Gus Poyet says he doubts Chelsea have an unbeaten season in mind as Jose Mourinho's men prepare to head to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

The all-conquering nature of the Londoners' start to the season has raised inevitable comparisons with Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles' who finished the 2003/4 season without a loss.

But Poyet believes that while the prize of becoming the first team to beat them is there for opponents, Mourinho will have different priorities.

Poyet said: "There are plenty of games to go and I don't believe the aim for Chelsea right now is to not lose a game.

"I think it is to win every trophy and if they need to lose one or two games I don't think they are going to be too bothered about it."

Poyet masterminded his side's win at Stamford Bridge in April which shattered Chelsea's 77-game unbeaten home record, and also overturned them in the Capital One Cup.

Poyet added: "If you win every game you get stronger and you get that feeling in the team that you can play badly and still win and at least get a draw.

"But the next team is the one who has the opportunity to stop them somehow and everybody is going to want to take that chance - and now the opportunity is for us."

Meanwhile Poyet confirmed Argentinian wide man Ricky Alvarez could feature after recovering from an injury which has kept him out since the end of September.

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Sunderland 1-3 Hull: Match Report

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Sunderland 1-3 Hull: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game as it happened.

Tigers too good for Black Cats

Substitute Nikica Jelavic completed a remarkable fightback as Hull's agonising wait for a Barclays Premier League victory came to an end at the 11th attempt at Sunderland.

The striker cemented a 3-1 victory in the sixth minute of stoppage time to extend the Tigers' hold over the Black Cats following last season's treble success against them.

Steve Bruce's men, who last claimed all three points against Crystal Palace on October 4, were behind within 30 seconds after Adam Johnson punished skipper Curtis Davies' calamitous error.

However, in front of a largely horrified Boxing Day crowd of 44,817, Uruguayan Gaston Ramirez levelled from distance with 33 minutes gone with City's first goal in 333 minutes of football to set the stage for defender James Chester and Jelavic to snatch the points.

It proved a frustrating afternoon for Ramirez's compatriot Gus Poyet, who had challenged his side to put together back-to-back victories after their derby success at Newcastle, but saw them wilt in disappointing fashion, although they felt they should have been awarded a first-half penalty and were furious at award of the free-kick which immediately preceded Chester's goal.

Hull arrived on Wearside with injuries and suspensions leaving Steve Bruce desperately short of options and with a run of 10 league games without a win leaving them even shorter on confidence, and things were to get significantly worse before they improved markedly.

There were only 30 seconds on the clock when, after Davies - he had shaken off a calf problem to start - left a back-pass to keeper Allan McGregor woefully short and then compounded the error by trying to shield the ball back, Johnson nipped in to round the Scotland international and slot home.

The home fans, still basking in the glory of the former Manchester City winger's winner at St James' Park on Sunday, rose to acclaim a belatedly emerging hero and settled down in the hope of a rare routine victory.

Sunderland dominated the early stages and might have increased their lead with 16 minutes gone had Liam Rosenior not managed to get a block on Sebastian Larsson's goal-bound shot.

But the Tigers responded and with Ramirez, Robbie Brady and Stephen Quinn starting to make an impression, they eased their way back into the game and restored parity 12 minutes before the break, if with the help of a slice of good fortune.

There seemed to be little on for Ramirez when he picked up possession 30 yards out and made ground, but his dipping shot reared awkwardly off the turn in front of keeper Costel Pantilimon and flew inside the post.

Poyet's men dug in once again and came close to restoring their advantage during a flurry of activity at the end of the half with Alex Bruce fortunate to survive appeals for handball in the box and Quinn less so and Sebastian Larsson having a header cleared off the line.

McGregor managed to beat away a near-post shot from defender Santiago Vergini in stoppage time, but the Tigers survived and left the pitch with the boos ringing around the Stadium of Light aimed at referee Andre Marriner.

The visitors returned in positive mood and with their hosts untidy during the opening minutes of the second half, made the better start with Pantilimon tipping over a disputed 50th-minute free-kick from Brady after Jordi Gomez had been adjudged to have fouled Black Cats old boy David Meyler.

They got their reward from the resulting corner when Ramirez delivered the ball to the near post and Chester got in front of Vergini to power a header into the top corner.

Sone Aluko might have made more of the acres of space he was afforded by the Black Cats defence five minutes later, but shot tamely at Pantilimon, and Poyet swiftly withdrew Gomez and Ricky Alvarez to send on Emanuele Giaccherini and Jozy Altidore.

But the visitors continued to threaten and striker Steven Fletcher had to be in the right place at the right time to clear Davies' goal-bound 67th-minute header, although Pantilimon was beaten again at the death when Ahmed Elmohamady played in Jelavic and he finished in style.

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Johnson delighted with derby winner

Adam Johnson was thrilled to hand Sunderland supporters the perfect Christmas gift after firing the club to a fourth successive derby victory at Newcastle.

The 27-year-old winger struck with seconds of normal time remaining at St James' Park to silence the home crowd and condemn the Magpies to a third consecutive home defeat by their arch-rivals.

Johnson and his team-mates celebrated on the pitch in front of the travelling fans high in the stand at the Leazes End long after the final whistle as the bragging rights remained on Wearside.

He said: "We've given them something to make their Christmas even more special now. It's great to win four-in-a-row. Whatever happens now, we're in the history books as the team who did it.

"I'm not sure how many more times that will happen."

If Sunderland had to wait to prolong Newcastle's agony, it was no less deserved as they created a series of chances to win the game long before they did.

Indeed, Johnson himself was guilty of a bad 77th-minute miss, although head coach Gus Poyet revealed after the game that he was about to substitute the England international until he saw him get in behind the home defence to create that opportunity.

Poyet's change of mind was richly rewarded when the midfielder started and finished the game's decisive move and fired past keeper Jak Alnwick from substitute Will Buckley's lay-off, his third goal in as many visit to St James'.

Johnson said: "I've done well there in recent years and it was a great highlight. To be honest, the chance I missed, I should have scored.

"We had so many opportunities to kill the game, but we stuck with it and luckily I got another chance and put it away.

"It was a little bit end-to-end in the second half and they pushed their attacking players on, but I thought we always looked a threat on the counter-attack."

Newcastle were intent on restoring local pride and started at break-neck speed, buoyed by the visitors' misfortune in losing specialist full-back Anthony Reveillere to a calf injury during the warm up.

With skipper John O'Shea asked to line up at left-back it meant that Gus Poyet's rearguard comprised of four central defenders and the Black Cats found themselves defending deep and in numbers and under extreme pressure.

But they survived and eventually eased themselves into the game, and with Sebastian Larsson and Jordi Gomez orchestrating and Steven Fletcher and Connor Wickham menacing, they forced their way into the ascendancy.

Fletcher was denied by the crossbar and Wickham by young keeper Alnwick before the break, while both Gomez and Johnson might have scored.

Costel Pantilimon had to pull off stunning saves to keep out goal-bound shots from Ayoze Perez and Moussa Sissoko, and his heroics were ultimately embellished by Johnson's last-gasp intervention.

The win was just Sunderland's third in the Barclays Premier League so far this season and ended a frustrating run of draws, and they will hope to build upon it on Boxing Day when struggling Hull head for the Stadium of Light.

Johnson said: "It's been coming, I think. We have played quite well in games, but just don't seem to have won them or struggled to score goals. But you only need one and we did that.

"Newcastle had had a tough week with a young keeper in goal. We tried to put him under pressure and I think we were quietly confident going into the game thinking we could win again.

"It made it difficult with Anthony pulling out - I don't think Sheasy has played there for 10 years - but they didn't cut us open as much as they'd have liked and we looked solid."

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Johnson strike settles derby

Adam Johnson condemned Newcastle to a fourth successive derby defeat for the first time in their history as Sunderland snatched a dramatic last-gasp 1-0 victory at St James' Park.

The winger struck in the 90th minute to settle a rip-roaring encounter which might have gone either way until his intervention.

It was no more than Gus Poyet's men deserved after creating the better chances on an afternoon when they collected just their third Barclays Premier League win of the season.

Black Cats striker Steven Fletcher was denied by the crossbar before the break and Connor Wickham, Jordi Gomez and Johnson all passed up glorious opportunities to open the scoring.

But goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon had to pull off fine second-half saves from Ayoze Perez and Moussa Sissoko as the Magpies threatened to end their run of defeats before Johnson dashed their hopes in front of a passionate crowd of 52,315.

Sunderland were dealt a significant blow before kick-off when full-back Anthony Reveillere limped out of the warm-up with a calf injury.

Poyet replaced the Frenchman with central defender Sebastian Coates and asked skipper John O'Shea to start at left-back, and the visitors looked understandably shaky as their hosts flew out of the blocks.

However, for all their possession and the driving efforts of Sissoko and lively lone striker Perez, they were unable to trouble Pantilimon to any extent until Sissoko exchanged passes with Sammy Ameobi and drilled in a low 14th-minute effort.

But as the initial onslaught abated, Sunderland found their feet at the back to give the men ahead of them a platform to start creating, and it was they who settled into the better rhythm with striker Fletcher giving them an outlet with the commendable assistance of wide man Wickham.

The England Under-21 international perhaps should have scored with a header from Johnson's 23rd-minute free-kick, and Fletcher was unfortunate not to do so three minutes later when he got ahead of defender Steven Taylor to sidefoot Sebastian Larsson's whipped cross against the bar.

Wickham forced a fingertip save from rookie goalkeeper Jak Alnwick on the half-hour after unleashing a fierce drive and after Perez had sent Pantilimon scuttling across his goal with a curling effort, headed straight at the 21-year-old from Santiago Vergini's delivery.

But despite all the endeavour, a half which brought five bookings ended goalless with the Black Cats leaving the field ahead on points.

The visitors resumed in confident fashion with Newcastle still struggling to find a real coherence, and their fortunes could have taken a turn for the worse five minutes into the second half had it not been for Taylor's bravery.

Wickham did superbly to recycle the ball and clip a cross to the far post, where the defender managed to get there marginally before Fletcher before colliding in sickening fashion with the upright and suffering a head wound in the process.

The visitors should have taken the lead while Taylor was being patched up off the pitch when Fletcher handed Gomez the chance to make a name for himself on Wearside, but the midfielder sidefooted wastefully wide.

Pardew replaced Yoan Gouffran with youngster Adam Armstrong with 31 minutes left on the clock, but it was full-back Daryl Janmaat who took aim at the Sunderland goal seconds later, although his left-foot strike flew well wide.

But Perez came desperately close to opening the scoring when he dispatched Sissoko's 63rd-minute pass towards the top corner only to see Pantilimon pull off a superb one-handed save.

Sissoko failed to connect with Ameobi's 67th-minute cross after turning neatly inside his own half and sprinting upfield to play in the wide man, and Armstrong was denied by Pantilimon after Perez and the increasingly influential Sissoko had combined to set him up five minutes later.

Armstrong fired straight at the Romanian goalkeeper once again after creating space for himself 16 minutes from time, and it was then that Pardew chose to send on striker Papiss Cisse for defensive midfielder Cheick Tiote.

The visitors might have gone ahead with 13 minutes remaining when Wickham picked out Johnson and he stepped inside Fabricio Coloccini only to then stab his shot wide.

But the winger made amends with seconds of normal time remaining when, having held off Sissoko and stayed on his feet to spark a pacy counter-attack, he collected substitute Will Buckley's lay-off and thumped the ball past the helpless Alnwick.

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Poyet eyeing quality signings

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Sunderland manager Gus Poyet insisted he needs more quality as he launched a thinly-veiled attack on the recruitment policy at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats ensured Barclays Premier League survival with a late surge last season and looked to strengthen in the summer as they signed the likes of Jack Rodwell, Jordi Gomez and Ricky Alvarez.

But the season thus far has not gone to plan with Poyet's men without a win in six games and with just one victory since an 8-0 drubbing against Southampton in October.

With the January transfer window approaching Poyet has made it clear he wishes to strengthen his ranks, although he has suggested that he will have little to do with the process, with sporting director Lee Congerton leading a continental scouting system on Wearside.

"I want more quality. Do I think I'll get it? I don't know," he told several national newspapers.

"You know what is missing. It is clear what we need to do. That is down to recruitment.

"I am a head coach. I am not going to be a head coach when it suits people and a manager when it doesn't. That side of it is down to recruitment.

"So, if you ever get the chance to speak to anyone on the recruitment side and ask them about it, you are lucky. If you don't, don't ask me."

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Brown: Man City should beware

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Sunderland defender Wes Brown has warned Manchester City not to take anything for granted as they attempt to succeed where Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea failed.

Jose Mourinho's men left the Stadium of Light with a 0-0 draw - the first time they have failed to score this season - on Saturday evening as the Black Cats turned in a stubborn defensive display and might even have snatched victory in a late flurry of activity.

City will follow in their footsteps on Wednesday night when they head for Wearside desperate to end a run of four successive 1-0 league defeats on Wearside, although Brown is looking for more of the same.

Asked if Sunderland could extend their remarkable run, the former Manchester United defender said: "After this result, there's always a possibility.

"Every game, we go into the game looking to win it and if we show the same commitment again, I'm sure we'll have chances.

"If you ask any player which teams they want to play, they'd say the top four or five. I suppose you would be up for it a little bit more and wanting to do really well.

"Everyone is watching and why not play well against the best teams?"

Chelsea arrived in the north east six points clear at the top of the league after a 19-game unbeaten start to the campaign and determined not to allow their hosts a third win on the trot over them inside 12 months.

They enjoyed the greater share of the possession, but were rarely able to break through a red and white wall, and although Willian struck a post with a 17th-minute shot, Black Cats defender Santiago Vergini was later denied by the crossbar.

Mourinho, who saw striker Diego Costa pick up just a single yellow card - his fifth of the season, which means he will miss Wednesday game against Tottenham - after clashes with central defenders John O'Shea and Brown, was complimentary about Sunderland's defensive resilience and insisted he had nothing for which to reproach his players.

Brown said: "We made it very difficult. I thought Catts [midfielder Lee Cattermole] was tremendous, like most of the lads, and that gave us a good balance and we showed them they were not going to have it all their own way.

"It helped us. We went in at half-time 0-0 and in the second half, anything can happen. There were a few tired legs, and they had some good chances as well - not perfect chances, but they had a couple of half-chances and then at the end, we probably could have nicked it as well.

"At the beginning of the game, you would have said it would have been a great point earned, but we battled all the way through and then we had a couple of half-chances at the end.

"We are happy with the result. We maybe could have nicked it, but it was a good Chelsea team and we put everything in and managed to stop them scoring and get the draw."

That draw means Sunderland are now unbeaten in four games since their season took an alarming dip with an 8-0 defeat at Southampton and Arsenal's 2-0 victory on Wearside, although Brown insists engineering the transformation has not been complicated.

He said: "If anything, it's just back to basics, doing everything right, not necessarily making it difficult for ourselves, playing simple football, but in a quick way and defending how we know we can defend, where we make it very difficult for teams to score."

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Sunderland V Hull at Stadium of Light : Match Preview

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Sunderland V Hull - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.

Poyet understands Bruce torment

Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet knows exactly what Hull counterpart Steve Bruce is going through as the Tigers boss attempts to drag his club out of an alarming slump.

The two men will go head to head at the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day, but will do so having experienced markedly different emotions in recent weeks with Poyet still basking in the glory of Sunday's derby victory at Newcastle and Bruce by contrast presiding over a team which last collected three Barclays Premier League points on October 4, 11 games ago.

While the Black Cats head into the holiday period sitting in 14th place in the table, Hull have slipped into the drop zone and are in desperate need of a win to ease their fears of being sucked into a fight for top-flight survival.

Twelve months ago, Sunderland found themselves in a very similar position and only late heroics got them out of trouble, so Poyet has a deal of empathy for his opposite number.

He said: "Yes, but first, I think Brucey has got the experience and he knows what is needed, so I am not going to tell him anything.

"It's just the feelings in those moments that you cannot show, you cannot explain it. It's you, how you cope with the situation and how you keep going with the players you have got and organise them and cope with the injuries.

"But they need a win. Everybody says the same, they need a win, and the next game is the most important one, so I am sure he is concentrating on us."

Bruce could be forgiven for targeting the trip to the Stadium of Light as the launchpad for a recovery having got the better of Sunderland three times last season.

The Black Cats capitulated in spectacular style in the league at the KC Stadium in November last year when Carlos Cuellar's own goal proved decisive on a day when both Andrea Dossena and Lee Cattermole were sent off, and Wes Brown saw red three months later as Hull completed a league double on Wearside with a 2-0 victory.

Bruce's men were also triumphant in the FA Cup quarter-final clash between the sides with Curtis Davies, David Meyler and Matty Fryatt firing them to a 3-0 victory on Humberside on their way to the final, where they were eventually beaten 3-2 by Arsenal after taking an early 2-0 lead.

That disappointment was tempered by a first qualification for Europe, but that, Poyet believes, may have contributed to Hull's difficulties this season.

He said: "They needed to prepare a squad to play in the Barclays Premier League, the Europa League and the two cups. Rightly or wrongly, they brought in plenty of players because they needed a proper, big squad.

"Then unfortunately the Europa League didn't go very well and then you find yourselves with the two cups and the league. Then when you are not in the cup, the league is the most important.

"Then you get hit by injuries - it's incredible. What in the beginning was an absolutely fantastic season for Hull City now is quite difficult."

Poyet will be without injured full-back Anthony Reveillere, who damaged a calf muscle during the warm-up at Newcastle, and suspended striker Connor Wickham after his fifth booking of the campaign.

Alex Bruce believes it is time for relegation-threatened Hull to show their "mongrel" side.

The Tigers are winless in their last 10 outings, lie second bottom of the Barclays Premier League table and are missing a host of senior players.

First-choice midfield trio Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Mohamed Diame are all absent through either suspension or injury, with Michael Dawson nursing a torn hamstring and captain Curtis Davies doubtful with a calf problem.

But Bruce is not taking the situation lying down and wants those who are left standing to throw themselves into the task.

"We're down to the bare bones but we have strength in depth in this squad and it's important for those who come in to do well and grab the shirt," he said.

"The mongrels, and I'd probably be classed as one of them, have got to stand up and be counted.

"It's a tough patch for us but a lot of Premier League teams, and bigger clubs than us, have been through it.

"It's time to roll your sleeves up, dig deep and come out fighting."

Despite personnel problems, exacerbated by Hatem Ben Arfa's persona-non-gratis status and Paul McShane's current exile, a trip to the Stadium of Light followed by a home clash with Leicester 48 hours later represent a real chance to gather points.

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New Sunderland deal for Wickham

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Striker Connor Wickham has signed a new four-year deal with Sunderland.

The England Under-21 international, whose five goals in three games in April played a major part in keeping the Black Cats in the Barclays Premier League, was due to be out of contract in the summer.

Had new terms not been agreed he would have been able to sign a pre-contract overseas in January, while closer to home the likes of West Ham and Crystal Palace have reportedly shown interest.

Wickham, who signed from Ipswich for £8.1million in 2011, has found the net three times in the current campaign, twice in the league.

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Poyet targets another major scalp

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Sunderland boss Gus Poyet is convinced his side's mental strength can help them claim another major scalp when Manchester City visit the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night.

The Black Cats' big-time heroics played a huge part in last season's unlikely march to survival and Saturday's gutsy goalless draw with Chelsea once again underlined their preference for the big occasion.

Add in a recent record against City which has seen Sunderland win all four of their previous clashes on Wearside 1-0, and it is no surprise the Uruguayan is in bullish mood as his side look to stretch their unbeaten run to five games.

Poyet said: "There is a mentality sometimes that when you play against the top teams, before you start the game you accept that if you lose nothing will happen.

"I don't think that's right - I don't think you are playing to the maximum if you accept that before the game. I think you have to be clear that it is going to be more difficult, but you will have a chance.

"On those terms the players have been exceptional because we stayed up last year because of that, and we showed last Saturday we can do it and we can try to stop the other teams doing what they like."

Poyet is under no illusions about the size of his side's task against a City side who sprang back to form with a 3-0 win at Southampton on Sunday, but who the manager believes remain second best to Jose Mourinho's men.

He added: "I think Chelsea right now look stronger in every aspect of their game but it's a long season and when you play in so many competitions it becomes very difficult to stay in all of them.

"They have got quality everywhere - they are one of the top clubs in the world and we have got to deal with that. But that's why we fought so hard last year to be here."

Sunderland's recent upturn in fortunes has coincided with the promotion of goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, who moved to Wearside on a free transfer from City in the summer.

Pantilimon pushed City's regular number one Joe Hart to the limit last season and since replacing former number one Vito Mannone he has excelled with two consecutive clean sheets.

Poyet said: "I think Costel had a great season last season over there - he proved he can play at that level so we are lucky to have him here.

"We've got two great goalkeepers and he knows he needs to perform or the manager won't hesitate to change him.

"He's come in and got clean sheets with the help of the rest of the players and let's hope he can maintain that level."

Poyet has no new injury concerns but may be tempted to freshen up his starting line-up with defender Sebastian Coates and midfielder Ricky Alvarez among those pushing to be included.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini is short of defensive options following the loss of Vincent Kompany to injury.

City's influential captain suffered a hamstring problem in the latter stages of the win at Southampton on Sunday and will not feature at the Stadium of Light.

That means Pellegrini will now have to field a different centre-back pairing as Eliaquim Mangala is suspended after his sending-off at St Mary's.

Right-back Bacary Sagna could therefore be pressed into action in the centre or fringe player Dedryck Boyata could be drafted in alongside Martin Demichelis.

Pellegrini said: "We have Dedryck Boyata, he is working very well, we have also Martin Demichelis, we have Bacary Sagna. So we have three options. We will see which two of them will play."

Matija Nastasic, who has been out of favour this season, might have been a possibility but Pellegrini revealed that he too is currently crocked.

The Chilean said: "Unfortunately for him, he is again injured. He has had two long injuries this season. He has a muscle injury in his thigh.

"I don't know if he will be able to work with the squad for one week more so he is not an option."

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Sunderland V West Ham at Stadium of Light : Match Preview

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Sunderland V West Ham - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.

Poyet wary of Carroll threat

Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has warned his players to beware the unique threat of a resurgent Andy Carroll when the Black Cats take on high-flying West Ham at the Stadium of Light.

Former Newcastle star Carroll grabbed two goals as the Hammers soared to their current fourth place in the Barclays Premier League table with a 3-1 win over Swansea on Sunday.

And despite his side succeeding in shutting out both Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks, Poyet knows they will have to be fully focused to prevent more goals from the 6ft 4ins front man.

Poyet said: "Andy is special and different and I don't think you can find another one of him in the game right now.

"The adrenaline of being out for a while has brought him back at the highest level you can have and you need to be able to deal with that.

"It's a difficult game and we haven't had that kind of challenge yet of a player like Carroll, so the goalkeeper and the centre-halves and everyone else are going to have a difficult afternoon."

Having come through a gruelling period relatively unscathed - Sergio Aguero's mauling apart - Poyet has now switched his attention to his side's festive programme as he looks to build towards a repeat of last year's end-of-season form.

Fast-upcoming games against Newcastle, Hull and Aston Villa appear to represent more opportunity to turn a recent glut of four draws from their last five games into much-needed wins.

Poyet added: "The challenge is to win as many of the next four games as possible. We are not looking to have four draws and if they are normal games without any accidents we need to win.

"We are going to play the four to win and then the season will be totally different. Winning games puts you in a different situation - it brings your confidence back.

"Last year we started getting better during this time and we had a very good run of results and took it into January, so we are looking at this period in a very special manner."

Poyet is set to recall Steven Fletcher to his starting line-up after the striker was an unused substitute at Anfield following a slight knock which forced him off against Manchester City.

Sebastian Coates is available again after missing the game against his parent club but is likely to have to settle for a place on the bench, while Emanuele Giaccherini and Billy Jones are both still injured.

Poyet was buoyed this week by Connor Wickham's decision to sign a new four-and-a-half year contract, adding: "I'm very pleased because it wasn't easy.

"The time was great for us and Connor to get to know each other better and show what he's capable of. There are not too many young English centre-forwards free so it was important for us to tie down Connor for another four-plus years."

Stewart Downing insists West Ham are loving upsetting the odds after they gatecrashed the top four.

The Hammers are fourth in the Premier League ahead of Saturday's trip to Sunderland.

Boss Sam Allardyce spent a reported B#31million in the summer which was been dwarfed by the expenditure of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Summer buys Diafra Sahko, Cheikhou Kouyate and Aaron Cresswell have helped ease the pressure on Allardyce, who was one of the favourites to be sacked at the end of last season.

West Ham were fourth bottom on 14 points this time last year but Downing is revelling in being one of this season's surprise packages.

"It's good, teams have spent a lot of money and people expected them to be in the top four because of what they've spent but it doesn't always work that way," he told Press Association Sport.

"We have bought very well, the players coming in have settled well. Sometimes you see players coming to the Premier League struggle to adapt. It's a big plus for us."

Southampton and the Hammers have shocked the top dogs during the first half of the season and Downing reckons breaking the 'big four' stranglehold on the Champions League spots is important.

"I think it would be good for the league," he said.

"If you looked at the league at the minute you'd say it was false but we're there on merit, we've done well and we've played some big teams and played them off the park on the day.

"We've beaten Liverpool and Manchester City and ground out a win against Newcastle, which we would have lost last season. We have shown good qualities."

The Hammers head to the Stadium of Light on Saturday with ex-Liverpool winger Downing insisting they can maintain their European challenge thanks to their extra quality.

"We have to look at each game as it comes. It's a big thing for us, Christmas, hopefully we can get lucky with injuries and suspensions," said the 30-year-old.

"We had a difficult year last year, found it hard and were sucked in (to the relegation scrap) so this year we're playing with confidence.

"Selection gets hard and it's one the manager would like because he's never really had it. Everyone is fighting for their place and the step up in quality has been good this year."

Midfielder Mark Noble is Allardyce's only injury concern. The 27-year-old recently broke the record for Premier League appearances for a West Ham player but will not add to his tally due to a problem with his Achilles tendon.

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Sunderland V Hull at Stadium of Light : LIVE

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Sunderland V Hull - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.

Poyet understands Bruce torment

Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet knows exactly what Hull counterpart Steve Bruce is going through as the Tigers boss attempts to drag his club out of an alarming slump.

The two men will go head to head at the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day, but will do so having experienced markedly different emotions in recent weeks with Poyet still basking in the glory of Sunday's derby victory at Newcastle and Bruce by contrast presiding over a team which last collected three Barclays Premier League points on October 4, 11 games ago.

While the Black Cats head into the holiday period sitting in 14th place in the table, Hull have slipped into the drop zone and are in desperate need of a win to ease their fears of being sucked into a fight for top-flight survival.

Twelve months ago, Sunderland found themselves in a very similar position and only late heroics got them out of trouble, so Poyet has a deal of empathy for his opposite number.

He said: "Yes, but first, I think Brucey has got the experience and he knows what is needed, so I am not going to tell him anything.

"It's just the feelings in those moments that you cannot show, you cannot explain it. It's you, how you cope with the situation and how you keep going with the players you have got and organise them and cope with the injuries.

"But they need a win. Everybody says the same, they need a win, and the next game is the most important one, so I am sure he is concentrating on us."

Bruce could be forgiven for targeting the trip to the Stadium of Light as the launchpad for a recovery having got the better of Sunderland three times last season.

The Black Cats capitulated in spectacular style in the league at the KC Stadium in November last year when Carlos Cuellar's own goal proved decisive on a day when both Andrea Dossena and Lee Cattermole were sent off, and Wes Brown saw red three months later as Hull completed a league double on Wearside with a 2-0 victory.

Bruce's men were also triumphant in the FA Cup quarter-final clash between the sides with Curtis Davies, David Meyler and Matty Fryatt firing them to a 3-0 victory on Humberside on their way to the final, where they were eventually beaten 3-2 by Arsenal after taking an early 2-0 lead.

That disappointment was tempered by a first qualification for Europe, but that, Poyet believes, may have contributed to Hull's difficulties this season.

He said: "They needed to prepare a squad to play in the Barclays Premier League, the Europa League and the two cups. Rightly or wrongly, they brought in plenty of players because they needed a proper, big squad.

"Then unfortunately the Europa League didn't go very well and then you find yourselves with the two cups and the league. Then when you are not in the cup, the league is the most important.

"Then you get hit by injuries - it's incredible. What in the beginning was an absolutely fantastic season for Hull City now is quite difficult."

Poyet will be without injured full-back Anthony Reveillere, who damaged a calf muscle during the warm-up at Newcastle, and suspended striker Connor Wickham after his fifth booking of the campaign.

Alex Bruce believes it is time for relegation-threatened Hull to show their "mongrel" side.

The Tigers are winless in their last 10 outings, lie second bottom of the Barclays Premier League table and are missing a host of senior players.

First-choice midfield trio Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Mohamed Diame are all absent through either suspension or injury, with Michael Dawson nursing a torn hamstring and captain Curtis Davies doubtful with a calf problem.

But Bruce is not taking the situation lying down and wants those who are left standing to throw themselves into the task.

"We're down to the bare bones but we have strength in depth in this squad and it's important for those who come in to do well and grab the shirt," he said.

"The mongrels, and I'd probably be classed as one of them, have got to stand up and be counted.

"It's a tough patch for us but a lot of Premier League teams, and bigger clubs than us, have been through it.

"It's time to roll your sleeves up, dig deep and come out fighting."

Despite personnel problems, exacerbated by Hatem Ben Arfa's persona-non-gratis status and Paul McShane's current exile, a trip to the Stadium of Light followed by a home clash with Leicester 48 hours later represent a real chance to gather points.

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Sunderland V Chelsea at Stadium of Light : LIVE

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Poyet: Chelsea stronger than ever

Gus Poyet has acknowledged his Sunderland side face a mighty task to replicate last season's stunning league and cup double when Chelsea visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Poyet knows Jose Mourinho's new and improved version represent a very different proposition to the one that had to settle for third place last season after seeing their 77-game unbeaten home run ended by the Black Cats in April.

That famous win was not the only joy Poyet had against his old club during the last campaign as the Wearsiders also dumped Chelsea out of the Capital One Cup with an extra-time win in December.

Poyet, who described Chelsea's 5-0 midweek Champions League win over Schalke as the "perfect" performance, warned: "This is a different Chelsea - a better one and a stronger one than last year.

"They were strong favourites before the season started and now after the games we've played so far without a doubt they are even bigger favourites. They are the best team in the country by far.

"I watched the (Schalke) game and it was impressive - let's hope they're not perfect again. For us it is the biggest challenge by far and when you play against the best team you need to be at your best."

With Chelsea's title rivals Manchester City following Mourinho's men to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, Poyet must hope his side can invoke the spirit of last season's survival push when they managed to save their best for the big occasion.

Apart from their superb triumph at Stamford Bridge, the Black Cats also staged a smash-and-grab raid on Manchester United at Old Trafford and came agonisingly close to doing the same at champions-elect Manchester City.

Poyet added: "Last time we couldn't find a solution about beating the teams at the bottom and we always played better against the teams at the top.

"The idea this year is to maintain our performance against the top sides and be better against the lower sides. You have to do certain things and every player has to have a role.

"I think Chelsea do have weaknesses - things that happened in the past when we played them - but they are stronger this year than last year so it is going to be more difficult."

Poyet's injury worries continue to ease with the news that Argentinian midfielder Ricky Alvarez could make his first appearance since September after being ruled out with a knee injury.

The Uruguayan is keen to see a reaction from last weekend's frustrating goalless draw at Leicester which saw them slip back to 14th place in a tightly constricting top-flight table.

Poyet added: "There are four, five, six, seven teams above the rest and now people are talking about a relegation battle between 13 teams.

"You need to take these opportunities to challenge yourselves against the best. We have a very nice but a very difficult week, but that is why we are in the Barclays Premier League."

Sunderland midfielder Ricky Alvarez could make his first appearance since September.

The Argentina international has been ruled out for over six weeks with a damaged knee but came through training this week and has been named in Poyet's matchday squad.

Defender Sebastian Coates is also set to return to contention following a calf strain but Emanuele Giaccherini (ankle), Billy Jones (hamstring) and Patrick van Aanholt (shoulder) are all still out.

Jose Mourinho has dismissed the possibility of complacency creeping in at Chelsea as the runaway leaders prepare to face the side which inflicted their most recent Barclays Premier League defeat.

Chelsea are six points clear at the top of the table after 12 games and unbeaten in 19 matches in all competitions this season.

Mourinho's side beat Schalke 5-0 on Tuesday night to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League and now travel to Sunderland seeking to consolidate their position at the top of the standings.

It was the Black Cats who ended Mourinho's 77-game unbeaten home Premier League run in April in a bad-tempered meeting which remains Chelsea's most recent domestic defeat.

Some pundits and bookmakers expect Chelsea to romp away with the title, but Mourinho is adamant his squad will not get ahead of themselves.

"Complacency is not a risk we have," Mourinho said.

"It's not a profile of this group in this moment. We have all the other risks. The risks that belong to football - the risk of a bad period, injuries, unlucky matches, other teams growing up and becoming stronger...

"We were winning 5-0 against Schalke and (in) minute 88 Eden Hazard made a sprint to defend.

"There was a clear evolution and I don't think the group as a group can be complacent."

Mourinho denied complacency was a factor in the loss to Sunderland, which prompted an irate response from the Chelsea boss and his assistant Rui Faria, who was issued with a six-match stadium ban for criticising match officials.

He added: "I don't call that complacency. I call that other things. Lots of water passed already under the bridge.

"That match was impossible to win. But we move on."

So scintillating have Chelsea been at times this term that it is difficult for many to see how they can improve.

A link with Barcelona's Lionel Messi circulated on social media this week, but Mourinho dismissed that possibility.

"In this moment it's so easy to have non-truths circulating, it's so easy that some people put news without confirming (it)," Mourinho said.

"Obviously it's not true."

Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard have sparkled this season and been nominated for FIFA's team of the year.

Mourinho values collective honours over individual awards in a hint at the attitude which now prevails at Stamford Bridge.

"I think these kind of trophies are not good for football," Mourinho said.

"Sometimes it looks like we're looking for stars. We're looking for people more important than other people and this is not the culture we want in this club.

"The mentality here is not to be worried with that. And when I see Fabregas and Hazard, I think clearly they don't think about it.

"Clearly they think about the team, playing well and trying to win matches."

Mourinho has no fresh fitness concerns, with only young defender or midfielder Nathan Ake (hamstring) out.

The Blues boss has kept changes to a minimum this season, with his first-choice line-up well established.

But he praised those on the fringes for keeping him on his toes.

"From the ones that are not playing a lot, I don't have one single one that is not training very hard, that is not ready to help," Mourinho added.

"Life is easy when you are playing always and winning and feeling high in yourself esteem. Life is difficult when they are not playing, because a player was born to play.

"All these guys in my squad are for me absolutely fantastic. I'm so happy with them."

And Mourinho expects his side to continue to evolve and improve.

"There is much more to come," Mourinho said.

"We have a lot ahead of us. This team has all the conditions to be better.

"But I'm so experienced in this life that I'm not on the moon when I win, I'm not in hell when I lose. Balance.

"The players follow me in this. We are not jumping every day, we are not crying every day when things go wrong.

"We are very stable."

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