Jose Mourinho feels his experience as Chelsea manager two seasons ago proves Manchester United can still win the Premier League title. United impressed in a 4-0 Europa League victory over Feyenoord on Thursday and resume domestic action at West Ham on Sunday, heading into the weekend in sixth place, nine points shy of Chelsea at the summit.
Mourinho was quick to point to the mid-season comeback from Manchester City that denied Chelsea, before the Blues marched to glory in 2014-15.
And the Portuguese was unable to resist a reprisal of his recent critique of Arsene Wenger's league record at Arsenal and a perceived lack of credit for his own achievements when addressing reporters ahead of United's trip to London Stadium.
"When I won the last title 18 years ago - sorry 18 months I ago - I had a 10-point advantage and then in one month I had the same points as Manchester City," he said.
"We lost 10 points at the end of December or the beginning of January. Then we recovered and won that title. "You can recover points, other teams they can lose points. During the season there are moments when everything goes against you and there are moments where everything goes in your favour.
"We know the game is not over but the reality is that there is a distance and there are many quality teams.
"It is a very difficult competition but let's go match after match and see what happens. On Sunday we play one more difficult game, let's see if we can get the three points." Anthony Martial missed out on the matchday squad versus Feyenoord and Mourinho feels the France international could be struggling to adapt to a different style of play following Louis van Gaal's departure.
"First of all the teams are very different. I'm not saying better or worse I'm saying just different so please write properly my words," Mourinho said.
"Probably Anthony was feeling more comfortable playing that way at that intensity, at that rhythm of ball possession and ball circulations. So he needs some time."
Martial has a solitary goal in nine Premier League appearances this term and Mourinho added: "In our squad, especially for these positions we have Mkhitarayan, Lingard, Depay, Mata, Rashford, Martial. It is probably the positions where we have more options. "And, you have one opportunity, you have two, you have three; if you don't bite, somebody comes and takes the meat."
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