Jose Mourinho appeared to have an ongoing feud with former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, which surfaced again with comments made following an iconic North London derby.
Arsene Wenger’s feud with Jose Mourinho remains one of the most bitter and personal feuds in Premier League history.
For years, the pair couldn’t get along, and even the most unlikely situations would result in some sort of mean-spirited remark or put-down. Take, for example, Arsenal’s memorable 5-4 victory over Tottenham on this day 18 years ago.
A thrilling match between the two north London clubs, with nine goals flying in and the lead changing hands as the Gunners reclaimed first place. It was a thrilling match, with Premier League legends such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Jermain Defoe all scoring.
Nonetheless, Mourinho, who was manager of Chelsea at the time and had no direct affiliation with either Arsenal or Tottenham, thought he’d use the victory to take a shot at Wenger and his team.
“A score of 5-4 is a hockey score, not a football score. If the score in a three-on-three training match reaches 5-4, I send the players back to the locker room because they are not defending properly.
“So to get that result in an 11-on-11 game is disgraceful.”
Mourinho has long been known for his defensive-first approach, which is diametrically opposed to the free-flowing, attacking football that Wenger attempted to implement in all of his Arsenal teams.
The Frenchman was well-documented in his belief that football should entertain, and few could argue that the win at White Hart Lane was not entertaining, regardless of Mourinho’s assessment.
As a result, it’s not surprising that Wenger was unconcerned about the manner of the victory, despite describing it as “completely crazy.”
“These north London derbies are either 0-0 or completely insane. You could say this one was completely insane “The former Arsenal manager explained.
“I’m glad we’re back on track, and I think we showed great character when Spurs came back at us even though we were two goals up.
The Frenchman was not amused by the lackluster defense and added: “Our defenders aren’t as thrilled as our attackers, but we’re glad to win. It was entertaining, but there were some awkward moments.”
Unfortunately for Wenger, Mourinho had the last laugh that season, as his Chelsea side eventually leapfrogged the Gunners into first place and won their first Premier League title.
The Blues would go on to win the title while also having the best defensive record, with Mourinho’s men conceding just 15 goals all season – a record that still stands to this day.