The ManicaPost
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was this week hailed as ‘phenomenal’ by Jose Mourinho, who insisted he does not care that closing the gap with Chelsea appears impossible.
Although replays showed it was offside, Mkhitaryan insisted his backheeled volley was the best goal he has ever produced as Manchester United beat Sunderland.
United, however, did not make up any ground on leaders Chelsea, who remain 13 points clear of their old boss.
‘‘I don’t care, honestly,’ Mourinho said. ‘I care about the way we play and I care about our results and to get the maximum points possible and what happens, happens.
‘‘Last week, Man City against Arsenal, somebody has to lose points and more of those matches will come.’’
Mkhitaryan returned from an ankle injury to add gloss late on. Mourinho said: ‘He scored at the Stretford End, with the people very enthusiastic behind there. ‘‘It was a great moment and very important for him. He was going up and up and then the injury comes. I think he also brought quality.’’
Alan Shearer was also lavish in his praise of the goal on Match of the Day, saying: ‘‘This was just outragerous. It was brilliant. I mean, to even try that. We should be looking at that for the next six months. It was that good.’’
Mourinho, who is set to again be without Wayne Rooney with a groin injury for Saturday’s visit of Middlesbrough, also suggested Zlatan Ibrahimovic will sign a new one-year contract, with all parties agreed on the extension.
David Moyes was not afforded any sort of reception, negative or positive by United fans on his first game back in the Old Trafford dugout.
‘I thought it was fine,’ said the Sunderland boss. ‘‘United supporters are knowledgeable. They’ve seen some good teams and bad teams. Most of them were very good.’’
Meanwhile, Mourinho has rubbished claims he is unhappy in Manchester and insisted he does not envisage living in the Lowry Hotel for the entirety of his tenure.
‘‘I don’t go to cities to enjoy cities, I go to work,’ he said in an interview with fanzine United We Stand. ‘‘If I wanted to enjoy places I would go to Los Angeles and go to the beach every day.
‘My family are in London because my daughter is at university and my son plays for Fulham.’ — Daily Mail
