There are many things weighing heavily on Arsene Wenger’s mind.
Defensive frailties, Midfield Lapses, a never ending injury crisis, the works.
However, unlike past encounters with the Blues, vengeance will an important cognitive element.
Arsenal were given a lesson in total football, as a buoyant Chelsea handed Arsenal there worst defeat in their premier league history, 6-0. Despite heading into the encounter desperately short on morale, this was a performance no one should’ve witnessed. Abject, and absence exemplified the comical nature of Arsenal’s defeat.
Not one to hold back however, Jose Mourinho dubbed Wenger a “Specialist in Failure”. Though the arrogance was unapologetic, Mourinho’s record against Wenger hangs over like death himself. Having not bested the Special One, maybe one of the only ink stains on Wenger’s otherwise successful career, yet Le Professeur comes undone at every encounter with the Portuguese.
The bickering however begun with Wenger, who in 2005 criticised Mourinho’s tactics.
“I know we live in a world where we have only winners and losers, but once a sport encourages teams who refuse to take the initiative, the sport is in danger.”
The rant however morphed into an articulate jab at Chelsea’s free-spending policy. Not to be outdone, Mourinho bit back.
“I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea.”
The passive aggressive war of words was then quantified, and in typical Mourinho style, displayed with dry humour.
“At Stamford Bridge, we have a file of quotes from Mr Wenger about Chelsea football club in the last 12 months – it is not a file of five pages. It is a file of 120 pages so we have a very strong reaction. My objective is that it is enough.”
As far as Wenger’s arguments, about Money and the spirit of the game, are valid, his niggling resistance at change has culminated in a not-so-favourable record against Mourinho.
Head to head,however it doesn’t look like much competition.
| Competition | Mourinho wins | Draws | Wenger wins | Goals for Mourinho | Goals for Wenger |
| Premier League | 3 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
| League Cup | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Community Shield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 6 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 6 |
Though the rivalry seems fairly skewered in favour of Mourinho, neutrals cannot separate Chelsea as a club, and Chelsea under Mourinho.
During the period from 2006-2013, Arsenal matched Chelsea at every blow. League Cup victories as well as a come-from-behind 5-3 victory, all proved how dangerous Arsenal can be.
Mourinho however has made a different Chelsea this time around, than when he started in 2004. His ability to adapt to change is unparalleled in his current generation, and his intelligence unfathomable. The team he has created this season can rub shoulders with the very best in Europe. In the Premier League, he has proven his ability to change. An ability that has given him an unparalleled lead in the Premier League.
The fight however, is far from over. Despite finishing fourth last season, Arsenal still had something Chelsea did not- A Trophy. Regardless of his iron clad record against rival opposition, Mourinho’s Chelsea had failed to acquire any silverware. Finishing third also didn’t highlight the “One” as quite so “Special”
This season on however, both teams seem to have learned from past errors, to give this match-up a different dynamic than the previous meetings. Both teams come in to the tie undefeated. Though Chelsea’s form might give them the advantage, Arsenal are riding on season best display against Galatasaray.
Both Diego Costa and Danny Welbeck will be increasingly central to their respective teams’ attacks. Both sides also boast creative and attacking flair, with the likes of Sanchez, Ozil, Hazard and Willian all likely to start. Chelsea’s defense might be better stocked than that of their city rivals, but players like Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sanchez will prove more than a handful for Azpilacueta and Co.
Arsenal’s injuries will put them at a visible handicap, but Wenger must rely on experience and creativity to overcome what is an extremely tight-knit Chelsea side.
One facet that could greatly influence Arsenal’s play, is deploying Mesut Ozil in his preferred central role behind the striker. The mercurial German has gone through a bad spell of form, stretching from February, through the World Cup. However, Arsenal’s recent success against Aston Villa will keep Wenger well informed of Ozil’s true potential.
The game will also feature Cesc Fabregas’ fist game against the Gunners. Having grown into the playmaker he is today, at Arsenal, this game will be particularly painful for the Arsenal supporters who believed Cesc would return to the Emirates. Fabregas will be central to Mourinho’s plans, not only for his devastating form, but for his inner knowledge of Wenger’s style of play.
Taking into account injuries, this is what I believe the Likely Starting XI’s will be
In what’s building up to be the weekend’s most exciting clash, both teams know that a victory can influence the League table greatly.
For The Special One it’ll be a golden opportunity to cement Chelsea’s place at the top
For Le Professeur it’ll be a shot at redemption, against an all to cumbersome competition.
The Phantom Forward 