Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will hope
to make it 13th time lucky against Jose Mourinho on Sunday as his side
attempt to delay Chelsea’s coronation as Premier League champions, AFP
reports.
Wenger has never prevailed against
Mourinho in 12 attempts and even if he redresses that statistic at the
Emirates Stadium, it is unlikely to prevent Chelsea from claiming the
title.
Having recorded an efficient 1-0 win
over third-place Manchester United last weekend, Chelsea are 10 points
clear of Arsenal at the top of the table with six games remaining.
Victory on Sunday would leave them
needing three points from next Wednesday’s trip to Leicester City,
currently embroiled in a relegation battle, to claim a first league
crown since 2010.
But while the championship seems
destined for Stamford Bridge, Arsenal have drawn encouragement from a
run of nine consecutive wins, including an FA Cup semi-final defeat of
Reading that took the holders into the final.
Sunday’s
derby will see Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas return to the club
where he previously spent eight years – including three as captain – and
Wenger hopes he will be spared a hostile reception.
“I want every player to be respected,
and Cesc Fabregas when he comes to the Emirates on Sunday to be
respected like he deserves,” said the Frenchman, who clashed with
Mourinho on the touchline in October’s reverse fixture.
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has insisted he does not see as a rival.
According to Goal, the two managers have
a history of sharing jibes, but the Portuguese insists that he sees no
need to compete with the Gunners boss as he prepares his side to face
their London rivals this weekend.
“For me, he’s not my rival,” he told
reporters. “I don’t feel that. He’s a manager of a big club in a city
where I work and live with the same objectives.”
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