Chelsea Legend: Liverpool have the "Quality" and "Ambition" to win the EPL

Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho, has pointed to Liverpool’s less cluttered fixture calender as a significant advantage over other clubs vying for the Premier League top-spots, the BBC reports. Having failed to qualify for any European competition during the last campaign, Brendan Rodgers’ men enjoy longer durations between games, in which to rest and improve tactically, Mourinho claims.

“They are not involved in the heat of the knock-out situation in the Champions League or even Europa League,” Mourinho said.

“These players are going to play 60 matches. Liverpool will play 40 matches. It’s a big difference,” he continued.

“Liverpool are on holidays (for) one season – one week to prepare a match, play the match, one more week to prepare the next match. This is an advantage, an unbelievable advantage.”

“Quality, plus ambition and this advantage – so yes, [they could win the Premier League].”

The Blues Boss’ words reflect a valid point and one he hasn’t been the first to observe. Yet, some may disregard the Portuguese manager’s comments as merely mind games, while others may find them harshly undermining for a Liverpool side that has truly stepped up in terms of performance levels and come some way from the team that last season finished seventh in the table. However, Liverpool fans will find encouragement in the fact that such a Premier League icon is taking the merseysiders seriously – whether what Mourinho says corresponds with what he actually believes, though, is, as ever, very much open for debate.

Overall, however, Mourinho remained respectful of his this Sunday’s opponents, refusing to label Liverpool as a one-man-team or pin the achievements purely on the contributions of Luis Suarez. Speaking of the PL’s current top goalscorer, he said:

“He didn’t start the season, with suspension, and after that the numbers are fantastic,”

“When he came back, it was a big plus. But let’s be fair – Liverpool did very well without him when he was suspended.”

The Uruguayan forward will face Chelsea for the first time since the infamous match that saw him take a bite out of Bransilav Ivanovic’s arm, an action that resulted in a 10-game ban – so, all eyes on what could be quite a nervous pre-match handshake, then.