Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was happy to fire back at his critics after going top of the table following victory over Fulham. Oscar and John Obi Mikel saw Chelsea win 2-0.

"The important thing is not to be top, the important thing is to be there," Mourinho said. "Where is Man U? Where is Man City? Where is Tottenham? Where is Arsenal? Where is Liverpool?

"If they are a long way (ahead) it's a problem, if we are there, it's important. And some of them, they start the Premier League in a brilliant way, we start in a very bad way.

"If we start in a very bad way and they start in a brilliant way, it's good for us."

Asked to clarify his thoughts on Chelsea's "very bad" start, Mourinho added: "That's what I read. It was a disaster. I think it was not good, but every one of the two defeats (to Everton and Basle) are not defeats with a conclusion.

"You lose a match in the Premier League, you don't lose the Premier League.

"You lose a match in the Champions League (and) you are in a more difficult situation, but you have 15 points to play for."