Jose Mourinho viewed tonights result
as a consequence of the high levels of
performance his team have maintained
over the course of the season.
The defeat was only our third in the league
and, in contrast to the losses at Newcastle
and Tottenham, came after the ultimate goal
of winning the title had already been
achieved. It was, according to the manager,
the key factor behind the result at the
Hawthorns.
We played for over an hour with 10 men after
Cesc Fabregas was dismissed, and by then we
trailed to an excellent Saido Berahino strike.
The same man added a penalty straight after
the restart and Chris Brunt completed the
scoring with a fierce drive.
The Blues played some of their best football
of the evening towards the end of the game,
with both Loic Remy and Nemanja Matic
unfortunate not to score. Mourinho , who spent
time with the travelling support immediately
after the final whistle - raising his index figure
to acknowledge their lengthy chants about us
being top of the league - then gave his
assessment of a rare defeat.
This is a consequence of being champions so
early, he said.
The ideal scenario is to be champions and to
not play again - go home, have holidays and
not play again.
When you have three more matches to play,
what has happened to Bayern Munich can
happen - lose three in three and what is
happening to us can happen, one point in two
matches.
I dont blame the players. When you play
since August in the top of your motivation,
concentration, commitment, feeling every
three days the pressure to win and get the
result, and then you are champions, you
breathe and everything changes. Its difficult
to play at that level.
Lets blame the players a little bit, lets blame
myself, and lets blame the top contenders for
the title because they were not good enough
to fight with us until the end. If today we
needed this game to be champions, I am not
saying we would win, but I am saying we
would compete at a higher level to win.
Cesc Fabregas was dismissed for kicking the
ball at a West Brom player
I have never seen a sending off like it. I would
like to see it again. What is this for a sending
off? Where is the danger of the situation?
Where is the aggression?
To get a red card in almost a friendly game, I
really dont understand it. I think Fletcher was
aggressive, yes, he pushed in the chest, yes,
because he is experienced and he knows what
he can do for a yellow card. It was much more
aggressive than what Fabregas did.
For me a top referee in control of the game
goes there, says two or three words, pulls the
ears, and its done. Its a bizarre red card. A
three-game ban for this? Of course its harsh.
Mourinho had words of praise for tonights
winners
Congratulations to West Brom for their
season. Im happy to be back here next year.
Congratulations for the three points and lets
go home.
Tony Pulis was also magnanimous after the
game
The team weve played have been by far the
best in England, he said. Theyve won it by a
country mile. All the praise must go to them.