Wenger’s history against Mourinho by RC
On Sunday Chelsea travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal. It will be the thirteenth occasion that managers Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho have met. The previous twelve have seen either a Mourinho win or a draw with Wenger still yet to experience victory over the Portugese manager.
Arsenal are on a run of 8 successive wins in the Premier League, including victories over Manchester United and Liverpool, however Chelsea remain the true test of the current Arsenal side. Something has to give.
Opta-powered fantasy football game www.oulala.com took a closer look at the history between the two managers.
The Wenger/Mourinho saga began 10 years ago in December 2004. Arsenal were the ‘Invincible’ Premier League champions and Mourinho – the self proclaimed ‘Special One’ in his first season of English football. Arsenal took the lead twice at the Emirates, with Chelsea equalising twice to scrape back a 2-2 draw.
The third meeting between the pair came at the Millennium Stadium in the Community Shield in August 2005. The Premier League winners faced the FA Cup winners as the dawn of the Didier Drogba Arsenal love affair began with the Ivorian hitting a brace in a 2-1 win for Mourinho’s men.
The following game two weeks later at Stamford Bridge celebrated Arsene Wenger’s 500th game in charge of Arsenal but again Drogba ruined the party with a freak goal in a narrowly fought 1-0 win for Mourinho.
In December 2006, the pair met again at Stamford Bridge in a tense 1-1 draw. Mainly remembered for Didier Drogba’s and Jens Lehmann’s penalty box antics and later in the game, Michael Essien’s excellent swerving strike to rescue a point for Mourinho and extend the hold he had over Wenger to six games.
Two months later the pair met at the Millennium Stadium for a second time in the League Cup final. Again, Didier Drogba came up trumps. With another brace the Chelsea striker led Jose Mourinho to his second League Cup in three years.
When the pair met in March last year at Stamford Bridge it was Wenger’s 1,000th game in charge of Arsenal but one he’d rather forget. Chelsea won the game 6-0. However, the game will not be remembered for Chelsea’s excellence on the day but for Andre Mariner’s mix up when the referee sent off Kieran Gibbs instead of the actual offender, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Twitter went into overdrive.
And the most recent and twelfth meeting between Wenger and Mourinho, Stamford Bridge last October. Chelsea won 2-0 but it was another game where other events took the limelight over the football after the pair continued their fondness of each other in a touchline tussle.
It’s clear that there’s no love lost between the two managers. The thirteenth meeting between Wenger and Mourinho should entertain us, even if the football doesn’t…..
Maybe our best chance,
Arsenal in form, chelshit scrapping through,
players had a weeks rest from previous game
and its our home ground
If players turn up WE WILL WIN & Chelski can take their BUS and Fcuk off home…..
Of course he’s ready. What kind question is this? I am actually pretty sure this time we will have some surprises for them.
And get down that flag with Fabregas from the bridge. Is really a no brainer. Why must we keep it there?
The Time’s right …….. Its Harvest season!….they (cheLski) are ripe 4 the pLucking
There’s no better time. For the first time after 9 years, we are reaching our best shape at the end of the season, a period when we were usually dropping down. So, mentally and technically we are ready to breach the hoodoo. We’ve broken down our biggest mental barrier at Old Trafford earlier after unbelievably 9-10 years of defeated. So, I can’t see why we can’t reply it at our home ground.
Nothing last forever. COYG!!!!!!
We can do it… The players have to win this for us but more importantly for Wenger.
Our teams now has some fearless players who have no respect for “top team” tags such as Alexis, LeCoq and even Bellarin. This has rubbed off the others too and its evident (OG plays with a swag, Ozil has more energy and confidence, Ox is improving, Carzola excellent, etc).
The belief is there now we just have to work on our slow start in games and giving the ball away needlessly. 1st goal will be vital in this tie
Yes we can do it and by God grace we’ll do it. Records are to be broken, the players have to win this for us but much more important for Wenger to keep mourinho mouth shout.
I hope we get our goal celebrations just right. Not concerned about Giroud or Sanchez but Ramsey might need some rehearsing.
Mourinho always comes up with the right tactics in every big game he plays in, he knows the Arsenal threats. I’m sure Sanchez will be given very special attention, i wount be surprised if he goes missing in the match. Hoping for an Arsenal win but wount bet on it… #Arsenal4Life
I’m sure you are right but Mou knows all about Ozil also so probably some tag-teaming on him as well. Not all bad news though – still 11 v 11 so if they are doubling up on a couple of our guys then there will be space elsewhere.
Its now or never.
Ugh, looking at those scores I seem to remember many of those games and seem to remember an awful lot of offside Drogba goals. I think there was a period of 4 games against them where every time they scored an offside goal against us that was allowed.
The team is looking good. Unlike earlier in the season I don’t feel like this is going to be a Chelsea win. It will come down to the first goal – I’m optimistically predicting an Arsenal win but realistically it could go either way. Wouldn’t bet on a draw.
The team have to stand up for this game and win for AW.
It would be a big marker for next season, and shut up some our perennial critics including Adrian Durham, the Neville brothers, and the various ex-Liverfool pundits.
I think too that the fans should give Fabregas a warm welcome, as AW suggested. This would demonstrate the difference in class between AW and Maureen.
COYG – make our day on Sunday
Not sure how many more ways there are of asking the question, must be the 6th or 7th “can we/will we beat Chelski thread”. Roll on 4.00pm Sunday.
Time to send the bus w@nkers back home!