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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