‘They (should) win more titles’ says Mourinho, jabbing at Manchester City

Jose Mourinho continued to verbally poke at Manchester City ahead of Chelsea's meeting with the Premier League leaders on Monday night, adding, 'I want to attack them, I can tell you that.'

Jose Mourinho and Chelsea are three points back of Manchester City and five back of Arsenal, in third in the Premier League. Martin Rose / Bongarts / Getty Images

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has continued his criticism of Manchester City ahead of Monday’s Premier League showdown by saying their opponents should have won more silverware.

Having already claimed that City have enjoyed the rub of the green from referees in recent weeks and taken aim at the club’s financial might, the Portuguese said they have not won enough since Sheikh Mansour took over the club in 2008.

They won the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League the following season, but the current Champions League campaign is the first they have progressed past the group stage.

“They won one title, won a couple of cups,” Mourinho, in his second spell at the west London club, told reporters.

“Only in Europe they didn’t do well, or close to doing well. Speaking objectively, they did very bad in the Champions League in previous seasons, also in the Europa League. But the team is fantastic, the squad is fantastic and normally they (should) win more titles.”

City, currently second on 53 points, can move ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table with victory on Monday, while a win for the Blues will put the top three teams within two points of each other.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have scored 72 goals in 18 home matches this season, but Mourinho insisted they were capable of scoring regularly as well, despite being unable to break through some resolute West Ham United defending on Wednesday.

“The intention with which we are going there is to play our game, play a good game and remember they also have to stop us,” he told the club’s website.

“We will think more about us than about them.

“I want to attack them, I can tell you that. But maybe after 10 or 20 minutes you realise Jose isn’t attacking. If I don’t it’s because I can’t. I don’t know if other teams refuse to attack or if they can’t do it.”

Meanwhile, City midfielder Fernandinho is hoping his good form since joining the club from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk this season will convince Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari he is worthy of spot in the 2014 World Cup squad on home soil.

The 28-year-old central midfielder has been capped five times, but made his last appearance in a friendly in Feb. 2012.

“He needs to watch this game,” Fernandinho said.

“Yes, I hope Scolari will be watching. The newspapers in Brazil say that he watched the last (City) game against Spurs on the television so I hope he was impressed. Getting to the World Cup is a big dream for me.

“There has been nothing from him or the Brazil FA yet but I hope it is coming. In February, they do the list for the next international game - against South Africa on March 5.

“I keep hoping I will get the phone call but I need to keep working here and believe it can happen.”