September tied for the second hottest of that month on record, according to data released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

The average temperature for September was 68.5 degrees Fahrenheit across the continental U.S., tying with 2015 as the second warmest September in history.

The first nine months of 2019 were also the wettest stretch in that period in U.S. history. 

The period from January through September was the wettest first nine-month period on record in the contiguous U.S., with 27.96 inches of precipitation.

The period between October 2018 and September was also the wettest 12-month period in the record books, with the average precipitation coming in at 6.51 inches above average.

The state of North Dakota had its wettest September on record. 

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The warming trends have largely been highlighted by previous NOAA data. The government agency anticipates 2019 will be one of the top five hottest years on record. This past July was recorded as the hottest month on Earth.

The Pentagon on Tuesday asserted that top defense officials were consulted prior to President TrumpDonald John TrumpPelosi hits back at Trump over letter: ‘Only the latest attempt to cover up his betrayal of our democracy’ Trump directed Perry, State Dept. officials to talk to Giuliani on Ukraine: report Murkowski warns against rushing to conclusions on Trump impeachment MORE‘s surprise and widely criticized announcement that U.S. troops would leave northeast Syria ahead of a Turkish offensive in the area.

“Despite continued misreporting to the contrary, [Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: Trump defends Turkey amid fierce criticism | Senators demand briefing on Syria decision | Turkey confirms strikes on Syrian border | White House says it won’t cooperate on impeachment inquiry Top Democrats warn against withdrawing from treaty that allows observation flights over Russia Pentagon insists it was consulted ahead of Syria move MORE] and [Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley] were consulted over the last several days by the President regarding the situation and efforts to protect U.S. forces in northern Syria in the face of military action by Turkey,” chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement. 

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Reports emerged Monday that top military officials were blindsided by Trump’s decision to move U.S. troops in northeast Syria out of the way of a long-threatened Turkish incursion against Syrian Kurdish forces, a group that has worked with Washington in defeating ISIS fighters in the country. Ankara considers the Kurds terrorists connected an insurgency inside Turkey.

The United States had been working with Turkey to set up a safe zone along the Syria-Turkey border in order to assuage Turkish concerns about the Kurdish forces. The U.S. military was touting that effort as recently as Saturday.

In staying in the area, U.S. troops had also effectively been acting as a shield for the Kurds against a Turkish strike. 

Hoffman said the Defense Department’s position “has been and remains that establishing a safe zone in northern Syria is the best path forward to maintaining stability.”

He adds that the military has “made no changes to our force presence in Syria at this time,” and that U.S. troops were moved “out of the path of potential Turkish incursion to ensure their safety.”

A senior administration official also told reporters on Monday that Trump was not giving Turkey a “green light” to invade Syria, and that, of the roughly 1,000 U.S. troops in the country, about 50 to 100 special operators will be moved to other bases. 

Trump, meanwhile, has defended his decision by saying that it is time to end U.S. involvement in “ridiculous Endless Wars,” even as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including many of Trump’s typical Republican allies, have criticized the move as abandoning the Kurds to be attacked by Turkey.

Following Trump’s announcement, Turkey on Monday evening bombed the Syrian-Iraqi border in anticipation of an offensive.

The administration is set to give congressional staffers a “top secret” briefing on the Syria announcement later Tuesday afternoon.

Planned Parenthood’s super PAC announced a $45 million electoral campaign on Wednesday to defeat President TrumpDonald John TrumpPelosi hits back at Trump over letter: ‘Only the latest attempt to cover up his betrayal of our democracy’ Trump directed Perry, State Dept. officials to talk to Giuliani on Ukraine: report Murkowski warns against rushing to conclusions on Trump impeachment MORE and Republicans in key Senate races. 

The investment will fund “large-scale” grassroots organization and canvass, digital, television, radio and mail programs. 

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“Next November, our very rights and freedoms will be on the ballot,” said Kelley Robinson, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes.

“Already, we’ve seen Trump and his buddies in Congress and state legislatures do everything they can to strip us of our rights and access to health care.” 

The campaign will focus on Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. 

Those states are must-wins for Trump. But Republican senators are also fighting to keep their seats in Arizona, Colorado and North Carolina in races that will determine which party controls the Senate in 2020. 

The campaign, which could exceed $45 million, will also focus on state legislatures. 

“To all the politicians working to take away our rights and undermine access to health care — you’ve been warned,” Robinson said.

“We have steadily been building our power over the last decade and we are ready to set the table on our terms. We are fired up, we are engaged, and we are going to win.”

The announcement follows a fraught year for Planned Parenthood and abortion rights activists. 

Planned Parenthood left the federal family planning program in August after the Trump administration began enforcing a ban on abortion referrals, dealing a major blow to the women’s health care provider, which has 600 clinics across the country. 

Planned Parenthood argues the ban is a “gag rule” on doctors that prevents them from telling women where they can get abortions. 

Planned Parenthood, which served more than 40 percent of patients in that program, gave up millions of dollars in federal funding by leaving it.

Several states also passed bans or restrictions on abortion this year, leading Planned Parenthood to declare a “state of emergency” for women’s health.  

Planned Parenthood saw internal turmoil this year as well with the firing of its former president, Dr. Leana Wen. 

Wen had claimed she was fired after nine months on the job because she had “philosophical” disagreements with the board of directors on how to handle attacks on abortion access, saying she viewed it as a health care issue while they saw it as a political one. 

Planned Parenthood staffers, however, have vehemently denied Wen’s characterization and instead said she had poor leadership and management skills. 

Alexis McGill Johnson, a Planned Parenthood board member, will serve as acting president through the end of the elections. 

Wednesday’s announcement comes days after the Supreme Court announced it would hear its first abortion case since Trump’s two conservative justices joined the court. 

Planned Parenthood and anti-abortion groups have been fundraising off of the decision, noting the Supreme Court’s decision could shape abortion access in the U.S. for years to come. 

The Trump administration also asked the Supreme Court Tuesday to reverse a lower court’s ruling that its rollback of ObamaCare’s contraceptive mandate is unlawful. 

The mandate requires insurance plans offer contraceptives like the birth control pill and implants with no cost sharing for patients.

But the Trump administration has issued rules, blocked by the courts, that would allow some employers to opt out of the requirement if they have religious objections to contraceptives.

Planned Parenthood and other reproductive rights groups argue the rules would let businesses interfere in their workers’ personal health care decisions.

–This report was updated at 7:45 a.m.

 

 

 

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A dozen House Democrats are calling on Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland to resign amid the developing Ukraine controversy.

Twelve representatives responded to an NBC News survey for Democratic House members by saying Sondland should resign, while others said they would wait until after he testifies on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to make a decision.

The Democratic representatives calling for his resignation are Reps. Tim Ryan (Ohio), Lloyd DoggettLloyd Alton DoggettA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal Tax-return whistleblower in spotlight amid impeachment fight Is Congress too afraid to fight Big Pharma? MORE (Texas), Gerry ConnollyGerald (Gerry) Edward ConnollyA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal House questions Volker as impeachment probe ramps up Democrats probing whether groups booked Trump hotel rooms to earn president’s favor: report MORE (Va.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.), Denny HeckDennis (Denny) Lynn HeckExclusive: Guccifer 2.0 hacked memos expand on Pennsylvania House races Heck enjoys second political wind Incoming lawmaker feeling a bit overwhelmed MORE (Wash.), Filemon VelaFilemon Bartolome VelaHere are the Democrats who aren’t co-sponsoring an assault weapons ban DCCC faces mass staff shakeup: ‘It’s the Monday Night Massacre’ DCCC exec resigns amid furor over minority representation MORE (Texas), David PriceDavid Eugene PriceYes, President Trump, we do have a homelessness crisis and you’re making it harder for us to address Two years after Maria, Puerto Rico awaits disaster funds Democrats hit HUD for missing Puerto Rico disaster relief deadline MORE (N.C.), Bonnie Watson ColemanBonnie Watson ColemanDemocrats seize on viral Sharpie hashtags to mock Trump map edit Pelosi asks Democrats for ‘leverage’ on impeachment Here are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment MORE (N.J.), Anthony BrownAnthony Gregory BrownA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal Assault weapons ban picks up steam in Congress Here are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment MORE (Md.), Dwight EvansDwight (Dewey) EvansHouse Democrats blur lines on support for impeachment Here are the 95 Democrats who voted to support impeachment Harris hops past Biden in early race for Black Caucus support MORE (Pa.), Julia BrownleyJulia Andrews BrownleyKatherine Clark quietly eyes leadership ascent California Democrats unveil redistricting reform bill after Supreme Court partisan gerrymandering ruling WHIP LIST: The 227 House Democrats backing an impeachment inquiry MORE (Calif.) and Gwen MooreGwen Sophia MooreA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal The 13 House Democrats who back Kavanaugh’s impeachment On The Money: Senate panel scraps vote on key spending bill amid standoff | Democrats threaten to vote against defense bill over wall funding | Trump set to meet with aides about reducing capital gains taxes MORE (Wis.) 

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“These text messages are deeply troubling. Mr. Sondland has lost credibility and must resign,” Connolly said to NBC News. 

Others such as Reps. Jan SchakowskyJanice (Jan) Danoff SchakowskyA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal The 13 House Democrats who back Kavanaugh’s impeachment Is Congress too afraid to fight Big Pharma? MORE (Ill.), Yvette ClarkeYvette Diane ClarkeA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal Parkland survivor Lauren Hogg implores Congress to do more on school shootings Inside the progressive hunt for vulnerable House Democrats MORE (N.Y.) and Diana DeGetteDiana Louise DeGetteA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal FDA under pressure to move fast on vaping Lawmakers criticize EPA draft rule for curbing rights to challenge pollution permits MORE (Colo.) said the ambassador should resign if the allegations are true, NBC News reported.

“If these allegations are true, anyone complicit in the president’s alleged attempts to pressure a foreign leader into interfering with our election should be removed from office immediately,” DeGette said to NBC News.

Sondland is set to appear for a scheduled House deposition Tuesday. 

The whistleblower report that launched an impeachment inquiry in the House mentioned that Sondland, who was appointed by the president, tried to help urge Ukraine to investigate the president’s political opponents.

The report details Trump’s July phone call with the Ukrainian president asking him to “look into” former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenA dozen House Democrats call on EU ambassador to resign amid Ukraine scandal Ex-Trump officials met with Zelensky campaign aides at Trump hotel earlier this year: report Overnight Health Care — Presented by Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing — Buttigieg unveils aggressive plan to lower drug prices | Supreme Court abortion case poses major test for Trump picks | Trump takes heat from right over vaping crackdown MORE and Biden’s son. 

Text messages between Sondland and top Ukrainian embassy official William Taylor made public last week show that top U.S. diplomats worked to carry out Trump’s desire for the Ukrainian government to investigate the Bidens.

Sens. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamMurkowski warns against rushing to conclusions on Trump impeachment Syrian Democratic Forces official warns of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ ahead of expected Turkish operation Turkey says it will cross into Syria ‘shortly,’ issues warning to Kurdish fighters MORE (R-S.C.) and Christopher CoonsChristopher (Chris) Andrew CoonsSenators demand briefing on Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria 2020 Democrats push for gun control action at forum O’Rourke hits Buttigieg over not supporting mandatory gun buybacks: ‘It’s time to lead’ MORE (D-Del.) are demanding an all-senators briefing immediately on President TrumpDonald John TrumpPelosi hits back at Trump over letter: ‘Only the latest attempt to cover up his betrayal of our democracy’ Trump directed Perry, State Dept. officials to talk to Giuliani on Ukraine: report Murkowski warns against rushing to conclusions on Trump impeachment MORE’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from key positions in northern Syria.

“We are concerned that this was an abrupt decision taken in the face of reported opposition from military and diplomatic advisers, and that thousands of hardened ISIS fighters and thousands more ISIS supporters currently in detention may become free to fight again as their Kurdish captors turn to defending themselves against a Turkish incursion,” Graham and Coons wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMurkowski warns against rushing to conclusions on Trump impeachment Overnight Defense: Trump defends Turkey amid fierce criticism | Senators demand briefing on Syria decision | Turkey confirms strikes on Syrian border | White House says it won’t cooperate on impeachment inquiry McConnell blasts House Democrats over handling of impeachment inquiry MORE (R-Ky.) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerSchumer: Giuliani must testify under oath Trump to hold Louisiana rally for GOP candidates in governor’s race McCarthy shares ‘Stranger Things’ parody video criticizing impeachment MORE (N.Y.).

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Trump’s decision, announced Monday morning in a series of tweets, caught lawmakers by surprise and appears to give Turkey the go-ahead to move against U.S.-allied Kurdish forces.

“I held off this fight for almost 3 years, but it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN. Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out.”

Graham, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee’s foreign operations subpanel, and Coons, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, warned in Tuesday’s letter that “this action will give Turkey a greenlight to go into northeastern Syria under the guise of dealing with the continued threat of ISIS.”

They warned Trump’s decisions “will have severe consequences for our strategic national interests and reduce American influence in the region while strengthening Turkey, Russia and Ira.”

The senators also asserted that Trump’s surprise move would increase the threat faced by Kurdish allies and hurt the United States’ ability to build strategic alliances in the future.

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“We believe that it is imperative that the Department of Defense, State Department, and the Intelligence Community provide an all members classified briefing on this decision as soon as possible,” they wrote.

The odds of a breakthrough in upcoming trade talks with China took a turn for the worse this week after the Trump administration imposed a slew of new sanctions on Beijing over alleged human rights abuses.

The Department of Commerce on Monday night added 28 Chinese companies to its “Entity List,” blocking them from buying U.S. products.

“These entities have been implicated in human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance against Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups,” the agency wrote in the Federal Register.

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The following day, Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoProspects dim for breakthrough in Trump’s trade war with China Budowsky: Biden and Warren at POTUS Rubicon Top Democrats warn against withdrawing from treaty that allows observation flights over Russia MORE imposed travel bans on government leaders and Communist Party officials, alleging they are complicit in human rights abuses.

A Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson hit back by saying the United States should “immediately stop making irresponsible remarks” and “stop interfering with … China’s internal affairs, and remove relevant Chinese entities from the list of entities as soon as possible.”

The spokesperson also warned that China would take “all necessary measures” to protect its interests.

The ratcheting up of tensions between the world’s two largest economies came as Washington prepares to host a Chinese trade delegation led by Vice Premier Liu He on Thursday to revive trade talks.

A lack of progress in the negotiations would prolong a year-plus trade dispute that has already cut into economic growth in the United States and around the world, while a setback would increase the odds of new tariffs or increases on ones that date back to July 2018.

Neither scenario would bode well for President TrumpDonald John TrumpPelosi hits back at Trump over letter: ‘Only the latest attempt to cover up his betrayal of our democracy’ Trump directed Perry, State Dept. officials to talk to Giuliani on Ukraine: report Murkowski warns against rushing to conclusions on Trump impeachment MORE heading into an election year where economists are forecasting a slowdown in growth.

Thursday’s negotiations had been seen as an opportunity to scale back a trade war that has led to tariffs on billions of dollars of traded goods and taken a bite out of global economic growth.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Tuesday that growing trade wars could eat up as much as $700 billion in global economic activity by the end of 2020, right around Election Day in the U.S.

“Everyone loses in a trade war,” she said. “Global trade growth has come to a near standstill.”

Markets dropped Tuesday on news of new U.S. tensions with China, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing down 314 points, or 1.2 percent.

The ongoing dispute with China is also lowering the outlook for U.S. growth. A survey of business economists forecast growth at 2.3 percent this year followed by 1.8 percent in 2020 — far below Trump’s campaign promise of 3 percent annual growth.

After a major summer blow-up that led to a spike in tariffs, the Trump administration and China had spent much of September making goodwill gestures to set the tone for the October talks.

Beijing began buying American soybeans, and Trump agreed to postpone planned tariff increases scheduled for Oct. 1.

Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, said there may be an upside to the recent spat over security issues.

“The way I see it, we’re beginning to get the separation between normal trade issues and security issues,” he said. “Trump could even appoint separate negotiators for the security track.”

The Trump administration, he noted, has continuously intermingled the two issues, at times using security-related sanctions on Chinese telecom giant Huawei to influence the trade talks.

Although the latest security moves lowered the odds of an across-the-board deal to end the trade war, separating out the security issues into their own track could lead to a successful, narrower deal.

“You could say it has that silver lining, because there’s a lot of trade that it’s hard to argue is a security issue,” Huffbauer said.

“I don’t even know if a grand deal is possible in the next administration, but certainly not in this administration,” he added.

Drug companies raised prices on seven popular drugs during 2017 and 2018 without clinical evidence that the drugs had been improved in any way, according to a new report.  

The increases cost patients and insurers more than $5 billion, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) found in its report.

The report looked at the seven top-selling drugs by sales revenue that had price increases of more than two times inflation, as measured by the medical consumer price index.

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According to ICER, a Boston-based research group, new evidence must “provide information different from what was previously believed in order to support a price increase.” None of the drugs examined showed evidence of improved safety or effectiveness, the analysis found.

ICER’s report was the first on either the state or national level to examine whether certain price increases are justified by new clinical evidence or other factors. 

Reducing the cost of prescription drugs is a bipartisan issue, but it can be difficult to tell just how much patients pay. Drug companies argue a drug’s list price — which doesn’t reflect the discounts negotiated with insurers or through patient assistance programs — is often higher than what the patient actually pays.

However, the ICER report focused on total U.S. drug spending rather than per-unit costs. 

President TrumpDonald John TrumpPelosi hits back at Trump over letter: ‘Only the latest attempt to cover up his betrayal of our democracy’ Trump directed Perry, State Dept. officials to talk to Giuliani on Ukraine: report Murkowski warns against rushing to conclusions on Trump impeachment MORE has made lowering drug prices a top priority of his presidency, and there are currently two competing drug pricing plans in Congress: a bipartisan Senate plan and a more sweeping plan from House Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiPelosi hits back at Trump over letter: ‘Only the latest attempt to cover up his betrayal of our democracy’ Murkowski warns against rushing to conclusions on Trump impeachment Turkey says it will cross into Syria ‘shortly,’ issues warning to Kurdish fighters MORE (D-Calif.).

The top drugs on the list included the arthritis drug Humira, nerve pain medication Lyrica, the HIV drug Truvada and the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis. 

Humira topped the list with an increase that added $1.8 billion in spending. Cancer drug Rituxan was second on the list, with an increase that added $806 million from 2017 to 2018. 

In an appendix published with the report, the manufacturers rebutted ICER’s findings. Many claimed the analysis did not reflect the value and benefit that the drugs have demonstrated. Others took issue with the methodology of the report.

Billionaires paid less in taxes than the working class last year for the first time in U.S. history, a study found.

Economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman found in their book-length study “The Triumph of Injustice” that the average tax rate paid by the richest 400 families in the country was lower than the rate paid by the bottom half of American households in 2018, The Washington Post reported.

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The wealthiest 400 families had a 23 percent tax rate, compared to the bottom half of households, which had a 24.2 percent tax rate.

The richest 400 families had a 47 percent tax rate in 1980 and a 56 percent tax rate in 1960, while the working class’s tax rate has remained relatively stable, according to the Post.

Saez and Zucman, economists at the University of California at Berkeley, analyzed Americans’ effective tax rates since the 1960s, including federal income taxes, corporate taxes, state and local taxes, and “indirect taxes,” which refer to licenses for businesses and motor vehicles, the Post reported.

The economists decided to examine the top 400 families because they have more money than the bottom 60 percent of households.

Some economists have criticized the study, which is based in part on their previous work alongside noted economist Thomas Piketty, which they say overestimates the wealth disparity in the country.

Jason FurmanJason FurmanBillionaires paid lower tax rate than working class for first time in US history: study Economy adds 130K jobs in August, falling below expectations Homelessness and the high cost of living MORE, an economist at Harvard, told the Post that the study is misleading because it doesn’t include refundable tax credits, thus making tax burdens appear higher than they really are. 

The wealthy’s taxes have declined over time from various actions by lawmakers, but the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act significantly lowered taxes for this group.

The Portuguese boss faces the impossible task of dismantling PSG in the last 16, but how has he fared in the history of the competition?

With Manchester United having a last 16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain awaiting them in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, the general consensus is that Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Edinson Cavani will prove too much for Jose Mourinho’s deflated team.

The Red Devils weren’t handed the kindest of draws this year, having been pitted in a group with Juventus and Valencia, and faith in Mourinho’s side isn’t riding high – especially as they failed to progress past the last 16 stage last season after being defeated by Sevilla.

So just how has Mourinho fared in the Champions League in the past, what is his record in Europe like and what is his win record? Goal takes a look.

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Mourinho first won the Champions League during the 2003-04 season at Porto, when he was relatively new to his managerial career and in just his second season with the Portuguese side.

His Porto side of the 2003-04 season tasted defeat just once, to Real Madrid in the group phase, and eliminated the likes of Lyon, Manchester United and Deportivo de La Coruna in the following knockout rounds.

A 3-0 win over Monaco in the final in Germany catapulted Mourinho to major success, and he moved to Chelsea the following season.

Then, in May 2010, the Portuguese boss became the first manager in history to win the Champions League title with two different clubs when he led Inter to the honour in his second season with the club.

Mourinho’s Inter knocked out Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate during the semi-final stage of the competition despite losing 1-0 at the Camp Nou in a memorable match, and he led the Italian side to their first Champions League honour in 38 years.

He was involved in a scuffle after the clash with Barcelona, however, and was accused of excessive celebration when Inter advanced to the final – running up and down the touchline like a madman – and defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final. In doing so, Inter became the first Italian side to complete the treble of the Serie A, Champions League and Coppa Italia.

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Mourinho has reached the Champions League final twice in his career. In both instances he won the competition with Porto and then Inter.

He has not progressed past the last 16 of the European competition since the 2013-14 season when he guided Chelsea to the semi-finals of the Champions League (he had achieved a semi-final finish in his three previous campaigns as well).

In the lead-up of Inter facing Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2010, Mourinho became the first manager in history to take three different teams to the semi-finals of the competition (though the record was equalled by then-Munich manager Louis van Gaal just a day later) when Inter beat CSKA Moscow 0-1 in the quarter-final.

Mourinho had completed the feat in charge of Porto, Chelsea and Inter, and has, in total, reached the semi-final stage of the Champions League on six occasions.

The Portuguese boss succumbed to semi-final defeats at the hands of former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez on two occasions, during the 2004-05 season (where Liverpool eventually won the Champions League) and then again in 2006-07.

In the 2004-05 season, a controversial “ghost goal” scored by Luis Garcia at Anfield for Liverpool eliminated Chelsea in the semi-final stage, with Mourinho insistent to this day that the goal never crossed the line.

Liverpool eliminated Chelsea once again in the semi-finals through penalties in the 2006-07 season following a 1-1 draw.

You can view Mourinho’s complete record in the Champions League below.

table.tableizer-table { font-size: 14px; border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; } .tableizer-table td { padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #CCC; } .tableizer-table th { background-color: #00A9CE; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold;

Season	Club	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	Result
18/19	Manchester United	6	3	1	2	Last 16
17/18	Manchester United	8	5	1	2	Last 16
15/16	Chelsea*	6	4	1	1	Last 16
14/15	Chelsea	8	4	4	0	Last 16
13/14	Chelsea	12	6	2	4	Semi-finals
12/13	Real Madrid	12	6	3	3	Semi-finals
11/12	Real Madrid	12	9	1	2	Semi-finals
10/11	Real Madrid	12	8	3	1	Semi-finals
09/10	Inter	13	8	3	2	Winner
08/09	Inter	8	2	3	3	Last 16
07/08	Chelsea*	1	0	1	0	N/A
06/07	Chelsea	12	7	3	2	Semi-finals
05/06	Chelsea	8	3	3	2	Last 16
04/05	Chelsea	12	6	2	4	Semi-finals
03/04	Porto	13	7	5	1	Winner
01/01	Porto	4	1	0	3	Group stage

*Denotes that he did not finish season.

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table.tableizer-table { font-size: 14px; border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; } .tableizer-table td { padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #CCC; } .tableizer-table th { background-color: #00A9CE; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold; }

Matches	W	D	L	Goals
147	79	36	32	256:130

In 147 Champions League matches, Mourinho has won 79 times, drawn 36 times and lost on 32 occasions, giving him a win-rate of 53.72 per cent.

The France international maintains that he is desperate to win the title after lifting the World Cup in Russia in the summer

Olivier Giroud says he has a final dream as a footballer – to win the Premier League title with Chelsea.

The France international has yet to win the league title during his time in England, though he has lifted the FA Cup three times, twice with Arsenal and once with the Blues.

He played a prominent role in France’s World Cup triumph in Russia in the summer, but the English top-flight remains a major target for the 32-year-old.

Chelsea are currently eight points behind leaders Liverpool, but they ended the unbeaten run of champions Manchester City last weekend, and Giroud remains optimistic that Maurizio Sarri’s men can overhaul Pep Guardiola’s side.

“I prefer to be at a big club rather than playing every week in a less prestigious team and I still have targets. To win a Premier League is my last dream as a footballer, maybe more than winning a Champions League, because I know how tough it is to win this league.

“I have team-mates here who have won it, so I’m a bit jealous. I want to make it happen. Look, I know we lost at Wolves but we beat Manchester City, so don’t count on me to give up on that dream just yet. I don’t want to end with any regrets.”

That loss to Wolves came after a 3-1 defeat to London rivals Tottenham, their only two losses of the season thus far.

Giroud also shared the conversations he had with some of his team-mates after the defeat to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, with many of them believing the Frenchman has already achieved the pinnacle by winning the World Cup.

“It was a long journey and Rudi [Antonio Rudiger] was teasing me: ‘Anyway, what do you care? You won the World Cup’,” he said.

“Mateo, who’s won three Champions Leagues, said there is nothing above the World Cup. So maybe people do see me differently, especially in the dressing room.

“I’ve been blessed but I’ve always said football is an everlasting new beginning. You can’t rest on your laurels. You have to prove yourself again.”

Giroud has scored once in the Premier League this season, as well as netting four times in five games in the Europa League.

Next up for the Blues is an away trip to Brighton on Sunday, with the Seagulls looking to bounce back following defeat to Burnley in their last match.

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