Respect due for fearsome Chelsea

After handing Liverpool FC their heaviest home league defeat since 1969 to extend their Premiership advantage to nine points after just eight matches, Chelsea FC manager José Mourinho said it was time the English champions were given respect for their faultless start to the season.

Destructive form
The west Londoners were in destructive form at Anfield yesterday, running out 4-1 winners to emphatically silence critics who had accused them of adopting boring tactics. "We deserve more respect, not from Liverpool but from people in general," said an exasperated Mourinho. "We have eight victories from eight matches, with 16 goals, but people say we cannot play, that we are a group of clowns. I am not saying we are the best team in the world. I am saying we are a very good football team with everything a football team should have: big ambition, defensive quality, attacking quality, individual players and creativity."

Mourinho counter
With confidence garnered from last season's Champions League semi-final elimination of Chelsea, and a 0-0 draw in the same competition last Wednesday in which Liverpool were the better side, Rafael Benítez had said Chelsea were "worried about playing against Liverpool", adding: "They talk a lot, always, and that shows they have a lot of respect for us. Maybe they are afraid." Mourinho countered yesterday: "I know [Liverpool] cannot play against us face to face. They have to defend or wait for a mistake and a goal. When they play against us face to face they can't win."

'Brilliant feeling'
Chelsea captain Frank Lampard, the scorer of the opening goal from the penalty spot, admitted he and his team-mates had been "riled" by recent criticism directed at Stamford Bridge. "We had a big point to prove," he said. "A lot of things were said before the game that we weren't happy with and we've done all our talking on the pitch today. There's an absolutely brilliant feeling in the dressing room. There was talk of us being scared of coming here; we're not scared of going anywhere. I think people know that now."