Chelsea stunned by Bournemouth

Jose Mourinho has said his side are now more likely to aim for the top six rather than the Champions League spots after succumbing to defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday. The striker’s best chance came in the 15th minute but Mahrez had already scored his first 10 minutes earlier, squeezing the ball into the net following a corner.

The Blues suffered their eighth defeat, and fourth loss at Stamford Bridge this term, as Glenn Murray headed home a controversial victor eight minutes from time to leave the defending champions 14th in the standings and just three points clear of the relegation zone.

However, after the recent narrow defeat it seems impossible for the men in Blue to finish in top six positions.

He added: “We didn’t deserve to lose”.

“I think this season we are a bit unlucky some games, but we have the same good team as past year and that team was champions so I think we have the quality to get out of this situation and we just have to fight every day, every game”.

“Chelsea will never be fighting for relegation – no chance”, he told reporters.

“Our objective is to finish top four”, said Jose Mourinho.

One of the major disappointments has been last season’s PFA Player of the Year, Eden Hazard, who has failed to find the net in the league.

But Mourinho believes the crucial moment came midway through the second half, when Diego Costa’s cut-back was blocked at close-range by the arm of a sliding Simon Francis.

“They played in a way that some call intelligent, some say is not fair play”, he said. You realise that was an individual moment where the player did better than he’s doing.

Mourinho has often fallen foul of disciplinary regulations this season and has a suspended one-match stadium ban hanging over him, so refused to go further in his comments on the key decisions.

Chelsea also had a penalty decision turned down and Murray was slightly offside as he knocked the ball past Thibaut Courtois, who walked into the side for his first game after a two-month injury lay-off.

Chelsea host Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, while Arsenal face Sam Allardyce’s resurgent Sunderland at the Emirates.