But do Mourinho's men have a 'killer instinct'?
Friday 31 October 2014 13:23, UK
After 93 minutes at Old Trafford the title race was almost over. That may sound ridiculous at the end of October but Chelsea would have been six points clear at the top of the table, eight points clear of Manchester City and 13 ahead of Manchester United.
They don't look like a side that would give up an advantage that big. Robin van Persie's late strike gave the chasing pack some hope and it could be the goal that ignites United's season. Despite the late setback, Chelsea were still ominously good on Super Sunday and it was no surprise to see Sky Bet shorten them to 2/5 from 1/2 to win the title.
Gary Neville was fascinating on Monday Night Football when he talked about Manchester United being there for the taking after they went 1-0 down. However, Chelsea failed to go for the jugular and were made to pay.
In the 2004-05 season they scored first 28 times and dropped only two points in those games. That is sensational. The following season was nearly as impressive again as Jose's team scored the first goal on 27 occasions and dropped just four points. Seven times it's happened already this time around and Chelsea have already dropped four points - all in Manchester. They undoubtedly have the potential to be one of the great Chelsea sides. That killer instinct might be the one missing ingredient.
It was Manchester United's best performance of the season by a distance. Now they face their next test in the Manchester derby, which is live on Super Sunday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports 1.
After the draw in Moscow and back-to-back defeats against West Ham and Newcastle, it's the start of a season-defining few days for Manuel Pellegrini and his team with the derby followed by a must-win game in the Champions League. The fitness of David Silva and Yaya Toure will be crucial.
City made a major statement in this fixture last season. They are 4/5 to repeat the trick with United 16/5 to make a statement of their own this time around.
There is some top racing over the next few days. It's Breeders' Cup night on Saturday. Far too much has been made of the absence of US wonder-horse Wise Dan and the impact his absence has had on this market. His absence has prompted most commentators to suggest that this will be a penalty kick for the Europeans but - as a consequence - all their odds are already now far too short.
The forgotten horse in this relatively lacklustre renewal could be Seek Again at a tempting 14/1 - probably the pick of the home team challengers. A wide draw shouldn't present the kind of problems it might ordinarily do at this track as the selection is sure to be dropped in behind and ridden off the pace. He got no luck in running at Keeneland behind Wise Dan earlier this year and has been too readily dismissed by the oddsmakers.
His fast closing style could be suited if the Europeans go lickety-split up front and set it up for him. Seek Again will be doing his best work in the final furlong-and-a-half and is great each-way value at 14s with Sky Bet.
For the bet of the meeting I'm looking at the Juvenile Fillies Turf. My Stateside mole tells me Lady Eli is as impressive a US turf juvenile as they've seen for a long time, and there is much to like about her profile for this relatively unfashionable race on the Breeders' Cup card. Her victory in the Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont last time out was as facile as it was eye-catching but the manner in which she quickened was more typical of a top European filly than a US-bred. Lady Eli is drawn better than the market leader, Sunset Glow, who could find too much trouble in running early on in the race to justify her favourite’s tag, and other key rivals - including the widely touted Osaila - must have stamina doubts. Trainer Chad Brown took this race in 2008 with Maram and the selection this year appears to have more gears than most.
Breeders' Cup selections: Seek Again & Lady Eli.
In truth, the jumps meetings at Wetherby and Ascot earlier in the day are more my scene, though both could suffer if no rain arrives. Silviniaco Conti is a machine on flat tracks, while keep a close eye on Ardkilly Witness, who has been targeted at the big race at Ascot by the canny Grand National winning trainer Dr Richard Newland.
The best meeting of the week will be at Exeter on Tuesday. It's shaping up like a brilliant card. Cue Card is the headline act in the Haldon Gold Cup but I'd be amazed if he was ready to win it. Somersby did so last year and Balder Success is another high profile entry. All will have to go some to get near Next Sensation.
I threw two big darts at the Grand Annual in March and seven months later still can't believe I didn't collect. Claret Cloak clouted the second last when set to win, while Next Sensation went off far too quick and it was one of the miracle performances of the season that he still managed to finish fourth. Put a line through his Aintree run as he clearly hadn't recovered from his Festival madness.
Next Sensation is a superb jumper, one of the best in training, and Tuesday is probably the day to catch him even if he's a few pounds out of the handicap. Round Exeter the others may not see him again after the flag falls.
Emma Lavelle is a trainer to follow in novice hurdles at Exeter. She always seems to win the opener at the mid-November meeting. In the meantime she has four entries in the first race next week. Javert could be the pick.
Another star on the card is Saphir du Rheu, who could launch his chasing career. I had him down as a potential World Hurdle winner so it's interesting that Andy Stewart and Paul Nicholls have decided to go over fences. Nicholls has been quoted as saying this horse is starting to look like a tank, like Denman. Saphir du Rheu can go right to the top.
