Totthenham Hotspur 2-4 Chelsea – Di Matteo reacts:
On the performance
‘At Arsenal we were very good, also against Reading I thought we played well and Juventus in the first half we were very strong, but the continuity we showed for the whole duration of the game today was pleasing,’ said the Italian.
‘There were 10-12 minutes when Spurs came out from the dressing room very sharp. The early goal gave them confidence and momentum which we knew we had to ride out. Apart from that, the majority of the game we were in control. We took the initiative and managed to impose ourselves.
On Gary Cahill‘s goal and his partnership with David Luiz
‘It’s not the first time they played together, I had no concerns. I thought Ramires and Mikel did excellent as well in midfield, they had a lot of quantity but also quality, and obviously we were a good attacking threat.
‘Cahill shows that in training, he’s always involved when we do finishing exercises and you can see he has got good technique. It’s important when you want to play out from the back that we have defenders who are comfortable in possession.
‘We have a good squad which I’m happy with and every time a player comes in they have performed well. We have a good base and are able to make two or three changes without noticing too much.
On a potential title assault
‘It’s too early to say, there are still 30 games to play. This result makes us a team who are strong and makes our start even better, but you have to wait until the Christmas period.’
On winning with style
‘We want to win games in a way that we think we can with the players we have. Our philosophy is to play in a certain way because we believe that, with the players we have, that’s the way to win games.’
On a reunion with Andre Villas-Boas
‘You don’t need extra pressure for a game like this, it’s a big London derby, we haven’t won here since 2005 in the league and we know how strong Spurs are at White Hart Lane. It’s the first London derby they’ve lost here in five years; it was a difficult game and a test of our character and ability.’
On the club’s decision to keep John Terry as captain
‘The board have made a decision and I respect that. Ultimately, they are the board and they make the decisions which are best for the football club.’
His opposite number, meanwhile, felt it was the three players in behind Fernando Torres who made all the difference, particularly the two-goal hero Mata, whom he brought to Stamford Bridge at the beginning of last season.
‘The game was solved on individual brilliance from Oscar, Mata and [Eden] Hazard, who were brilliant,’ said Villas-Boas. ‘They can unlock doors and beat people as they are extremely creative.
‘The player is a good player regardless of the manager, we signed Mata for his talent and he’s not going to stop producing moments of brilliance.’
