Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has spoken about the ongoing rivalry between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.
Henry – who played under Wenger for 8 years during his highly successful Arsenal career – was speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Saturday’s clash between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Henry himself is no stranger to the Arsenal-United rivalry, having played in some unforgettable matches in a period where the fiery relationship between the two peaked.
Henry was today named as one of the toughest Arsenal players Gary Neville ever faced, as the Englishman also looked ahead to Saturday’s massive tie.
Arsene Wenger has never beaten a Jose Mourinho team in the league, and Henry was unsure whether this weekend would finally be the day that he puts that to rest.
“Can Arsene Wenger win a game against Jose Mourinho in the league? That’s what everyone wants to see,” he said.
“Obviously Mourinho does something tactically that stops Wenger from winning.
“But Arsene has had a lot of opportunities to win a game against a side Mourinho was coaching – I am talking about the league – so when is it going to happen?”
Wenger and Mourinho have never gotten along, with the United manager once labeling the Frenchman a voyeur – something that had the Arsenal manager absolutely seething, and even threatening legal action.
Two years ago, Mourinho was at it again, calling Wenger a “specialist in failure”. That eventually culminated in a physical confrontation on the touchline, as pictured above.
Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea the next year, but Wenger chose not to have a dig at a man who had just lost his job.
This season, Mourinho has again been making noises about people who get more patience than he does as manager, which is something he has always said about Wenger.
Wenger has not responded, but the pre-match press conference tomorrow should be interesting to say the least.
Wenger has only beaten Mourinho on one occasion, in last season’s Community Shield. This season represents a good chance for Wenger to finally beat Mourinho in the league.
United are misfiring in several matches and Mourinho is under pressure already. Arsenal sit in fourth place on 24 points, six ahead of Mourinho’s side who are at sixth with 18 points.
Wenger will be hoping that United’s poor form continues as they face off this Saturday. Mourinho will be hoping this is the game that can give their season the kick-start it needs.
