Marko Arnautovic returned to haunt Jose Mourinho with a spectacular winner as Stoke City sank Chelsea 1-0 on Saturday to plunge the futures of the English Premier League champions’ manager into doubt.
Mourinho branded Arnautovic “unmanageable” during their time at Inter in Italy, but the Austria international might have had the last laugh with an acrobatic 53rd-minute volley at the Britannia Stadium.
It condemned Chelsea to a third straight league defeat, unprecedented since 1999 and their seventh in total, and left them in 16th place, heightening the risk that Mourinho, absent from the game due to a stadium ban, will be sacked.
Photo: AFP
“We wanted to get a result for him,” Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic said. “His spirit and his presence is always there.”
Hit with a one-game stadium ban for berating referee Jon Moss at halftime of his side’s defeat at West Ham United last month, Mourinho watched the match at a nearby hotel.
The international break could offer a convenient opportunity for owner Roman Abramovich to dispense with his services for a second time, but Begovic said: “We are behind the manager.”
Photo: Reuters
“You can see that from our performances. We think he is the right man and someone we work hard for,” he said.
Chelsea’s fans also continue to believe in the club’s most successful manager, and showed their support by donning Mourinho masks and chanting his name.
In continuity with their victory over Dynamo Kiev last week, Chelsea produced a lively first-half display and went close when Diego Costa forced Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland to save with his legs, but they fell behind eight minutes into the second half when Chelsea old boy Glen Johnson’s right-wing cross was inadvertently helped on by Jon Walters to Arnautovic, who volleyed in superbly at the far post.
Pedro Rodriguez hit the post and Eden Hazard put a shot just wide as Chelsea pushed for a leveler, while Loic Remy hurdled Butland late on, but in trying to stay on his feet he lost balance and shot off target.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes, whose side eliminated Chelsea from the League Cup last month, said: “I see no reason why they should make a change [of manager], but there is always focus in the Premier League.”
Elsewhere on Saturday, Jesse Lingard’s first Manchester United goal inspired his side to a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion that left Louis van Gaal’s team a point shy of the league summit.
United had ended a 404-minute goal drought against CSKA Moscow last week, but they labored again until Lingard broke the deadlock by coolly curling home from outside the penalty area in the 52nd minute at Old Trafford.
Juan Mata added a stoppage-time penalty after Gareth McAuley had been sent off for chopping down Anthony Martial.
Van Gaal’s side remained fourth, but they were just a point behind joint leaders Manchester City and Arsenal, both of whom were due to play yesterday, and third-placed Leicester City, who won 2-1 at home to Watford.
“Everybody knows who has played football that the most difficult way to score is against a very defensive team,” Van Gaal told the BBC. “You need patience. In the second half, West Brom are more tired and the chances come.”
At the King Power Stadium, Jamie Vardy scored for the ninth league game running as Leicester sank Watford to continue their fine start to the season.
Vardy’s penalty, after N’Golo Kante’s opener, made him the first English player to score in nine successive Premier League games and left him within one game of former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record.
“It’s great for Jamie Vardy to score again,” Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri said. “I don’t know if it’s another record, but he continues in a good moment.”
West Ham United failed to make ground on the leaders after a 1-1 draw at home to Everton, who leveled through Romelu Lukaku after Manuel Lanzini had put the hosts ahead with a fine, bending effort on the half-hour mark.
Newcastle United climbed out of the relegation zone at AFC Bournemouth’s expense after a 27th-minute Ayoze Perez strike and a string of saves by goalkeeper Rob Elliot earned them a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at the Vitality Stadium.
Sunderland remained in the bottom three, four points from safety, after losing 1-0 at home to Southampton, who prevailed courtesy of Dusan Tadic’s 69th-minute penalty, but Norwich City pulled away from danger, climbing above Chelsea and Newcastle, after Jonny Howson’s 70th-minute tap-in gave Alex Neil’s men a 1-0 home win over Swansea City.
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