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Mourinho says not losing was important

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has described the Premier League title race as "unbelievable" with two points separating the top five teams.

Monday's 0-0 draw with Arsenal leaves the Blues fourth and the Gunners second on goal difference behind Liverpool.

"It is a unique situation, an unbelievable championship because we are all there," said Mourinho.

Top of the Premier League Team P W D L GD PTS 1. Liverpool 17 11 3 3 23 36 2. Arsenal 17 11 3 3 16 36 3. Man City 17 11 2 4 31 35 4. Chelsea 17 10 4 3 14 34 5. Everton 17 9 7 1 13 34 6. Newcastle 17 9 3 5 2 30 7. Tottenham 17 9 3 5 -5 30 8. Man United 17 8 4 5 8 28 Table correct as of 23 December, 2013

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger added: "It is interesting. The most consistent team will come out on top."

The draw at Emirates Stadium means Liverpool will lead the table at Christmas with Manchester City in third, a point behind the top two.

Chelsea are one point further back in fourth and level on points with fifth-placed Everton.

Mourinho said: "OK, we don't go to Christmas as leaders, but we go with evolution because last season the championship was already lost by this point. Now, we are there.

"Manchester United and Tottenham are not in this top four but they should be.

"We are completely alive, especially if you compare it with this point last season where Chelsea were 11 points behind."

In a drab match, Frank Lampard came closest to breaking the deadlock for the visitors when he hit the woodwork in the first half.

Arsenal struggled in the most part to break down a defensive Chelsea but striker Olivier Giroud wasted two good opportunities late on to claim a win that would have seen the Gunners leapfrog Liverpool.

Wenger was convinced his side should have been awarded a penalty when Theo Walcott went down under Willian's first-half challenge.

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"I think it was a penalty on Walcott, 100%," Wenger said. "After that, we played with great focus and concentration but we couldn't get the goal we deserved in the second half.

"They locked the game up and waited for a counter-attacking chance. It took us a while to get into our flow. I thought we would win it but when we had the chances we could not take them."

Of the penalty claim, and two separate high challenges on Mikel Arteta, Mourinho said: "They [Arsenal] like to cry - that's tradition. I prefer to say that English people - and I give one example, Frank Lampard - would never provoke a situation like that.

"Players from other countries, especially some countries, they have that in their blood.

"Foreign players are bringing lots of good things, but I prefer English blood in football and English blood in these situations is 'come on, let's go'."

Chelsea, who played out a similar goalless draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford in August, were content to try to hit Arsenal on the counter.

Did you know? Liverpool have failed to win the league title in each of the last three seasons when they were top at Christmas. They finished second in 1990-91, came fourth in 1996-97 and were runners-up in 2008-09.

Mourinho said: "It was a tactical match. A game that Arsenal wanted to win but didn't want to lose and Chelsea wanted to win but didn't want to lose.

"I am building a team for a long period, not just one season. We want creative players who use the ball and kill opponents.

"But there are some matches where we have to take one step backwards and play with a different philosophy."

He was unfazed by Arsenal fans jeering his side off the pitch for being "boring", and referred to the fact that opposite number Wenger has never beaten him.

"I'd agree. I played against them 10 times and I never lost.

"'Funny, funny Jose'. Ten times, they don't win once. What do you want to call me?" asked the Portuguese.