Jose Mourinho praises 'perfect' Chelsea after Manchester United win

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho praised his side for executing the ‘perfect plan’ after their 1-0 victory against Manchester United.

The Premier League leaders started Kurt Zouma alongside Nemanja Matic in central midfield as Eden Hazard’s first-half strike extended their lead at the top to 10 points.

United enjoyed over 70 per cent possession during the game but that stat meant little to Mourinho, who enjoyed winning his tactical battle with Louis van Gaal.

"I love it," he told Sky Sports. "It (United's possession) could be 99 per cent, that's no problem.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

“When you play in a strategic way you don’t care about the stats, it's about the points.

"We were very well prepared for them, we had a big heart, we fight and we were very focused on what we want,” he added.

“Football is about talent but strategy is very important as well.”

Mourinho’s men, who face second-placed Arsenal next weekend, moved one step closer to the title after victory at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea need just eight points from their last six matches or six form the next two games to wrap up the league but Mourinho insists his side, despite their advantage, are still fully focused on the job in hand.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

He said: "The game was the game we wanted. The only thing we couldn't do was kill the game by scoring a second goal.

“We know they make the pitch big, they pass the ball very well. We decided to play in a certain way and the game was exactly what we wanted.

"We need our points. Today we wanted three points and our opponent lost three points, but we are focused on us.”