Chelsea Manage Jose Mourinho declared "everything is mind games" as he again played down Chelsea's Barclays Premier League title challenge. "Everything I say is mind games," Mourinho said.
"Everything I do is mind games. Everything is mind games. The only thing that is not mind games is the results. That's not mind games." he told reporters on Friday.
The self-proclaimed Special One insisted Chelsea were third favourites behind Premier League leaders Arsenal and Manchester City after Monday's 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium which ended City's 100 per cent home record.
Mourinho maintained that stance ahead of Saturday's clash with Newcastle when asked if he was engaged in a psychological battle with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Manuel Pellegrini of Manchester City.
Mourinho's tone could have been construed as sarcastic, but he took the opportunity to suggest Arsenal and City are performing below his expectations.
"We are there (in title contention) because we are doing very well or because maybe Man City and Arsenal are not doing as well as they should with the conditions they have," Mourinho said.
"Do we dream to win the Premier League? Of course. If we don't, we don't play.
"Do we want to win the next game against Newcastle and be there? Of course.
"If we have the chance to win we are not going to say we don't want to, but we have not the same responsibilities, that's for sure.
"When we lost two points against West Ham (in a 0-0 draw), many people were saying we have no attacking power to win every match and to win the Premier League and to compete against teams that score goals and goals and goals and goals.
"Just because we won against Man City, now people are changing their opinion. But I know where we are, I know that we are good and working well and playing well, but we are going step by step."
Chelsea could overtake Arsenal, if the leaders lose at Liverpool on Saturday, while second-placed City play at Norwich.
Fernando Torres will miss out against The Magpies, however, as Mourinho is not prepared to risk the striker who has been out of action for three weeks with a knee injury.
"He is almost there but not there," Mourinho said. "If it was the last game of the season I'd say 'let's go and do it' but there's no point to risk him now.
"It's not the moment to lose players, it's the moment to try to have them all. Tuesday (away to West Bromwich Albion) is a better possibility."
Mourinho continued his mischief-making by teasing Saturday's opponents over their failure to recruit a replacement for influential midfielder Yohan Cabaye who left the club in January to join Paris St Germain saying “Cabaye is one of the best midfielders we had in the Premier League and they did not replace him. But, they have a good team and they know they can beat us.
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