Wenger and Mourinho’s personal battles have been one of the interesting aspects of the Londoners’ rivalryThis weekend sees Arsenal pay a visit to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in the Premier League and, as usual, fireworks are expected. Though it's still early days, Chelsea look a shadow of their former selves, with their title credentials already being called into serious question following a series of turbulent displays on the domestic front.For many, this is being widely tipped as a huge opportunity for Arsene Wenger's troops to deal a real hammer blow to the Blues and get one over a bitter counterpart, while the rest are quietly confident that the reigning league champions will awake from their slumber and grind out a much-needed top-notch performance.A defeat would push Mourinho's men into the relegation zone while a win for the Gunners would enable them to keep the heat on the runaway pack at the summit of the table. Whatever happens in terms of the result, the subtext of drama, elation and disappointment is already setting this up to be a real blend of emotions that ought to make for an enjoyable spectacle for all to engage with.So, let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable moments as we whet our appetites ahead of the main event.
#1 Mourinho\'s masterminded 6-0 win
In the lead up to this particular match-up in march of 2014, much of the pre-game chat surrounded Wenger's 1,000th match in charge as manager.
A terrific achievement, this was billed as his chance to make a bold statement with a win against a true rival. Always viewed as the eternal philosopher and a manager with one of the most progressive minds in football, his legacy as a true trailblazer was solidified long before this disaster unfolded – but it still hurt a great deal and sparked a wave of criticism, from which he continues to suffer.
Rarely had the French connoisseur been so out-thought and out-fought, especially against such a bitter rival. For the Roman Abramovich-led Blues brigade, however, this was one of the sweetest victories to date and it sent out a clear signal to the rest of the league that they meant business.
In hindsight, the win was mere consolation for the ultimate goal as Mourinho's men were unable to launch themselves towards the title with such a gargantuan victory, but it remains a real gem of a memory for them as a club, and it's one that always crops up in build up to the big matches.
Will we ever see such a large margin victory between these two heavy-weights again? The neutrals will surely hope so.
#2 Gunners 2002 FA Cup win
Currently the FA Cup record holders with as many as 12 glinting and gleaming trophies in their silverware display case, the “Gooners” are unequivocally the most successful team in the history of the competition – and it was this meeting over a dozen years ago which played a huge role in that historic streak. Most striking of all, however, is the fact that it has been the only meeting between these two sides in the final of this competition to date.
So, in many respects, it's one of their most historic victories against Chelsea since the Premier League era kicked off back in 1992.
In recent seasons, Arsenal have been strongly accused of flopping on the big match days and failing to deliver on the potential they have often possessed, but there was once a glorious period when they dominated the game with some of the most gloriously attractive football some have ever borne witness to - not only that, but they used it as an effective tool to win the big tournaments. Such was the case towards the start of the 21st century when they overcame Claudio Ranieri's men in front of over 70,000 spectators.
In the final 20 minutes of the match at the Millennium Stadium, Wenger's men took the tie by the scruff of the neck through a generous double shot of goals via Ray Parlour and Freddie Ljungberg as Chelsea crumbled under the strain of some frantically fluid football.
A huge win, it helped them repeat the double they had achieved back in 1998 and set the perfect platform for what would prove to be a fruitful lead up to their well-renowned 2003/04 campaign.
#3 Blues Champions League win in 2004
Once upon a time, the north Londoners were the toast of England. Boasting a squad jam-packed with superlative talents, they had control of their domestic affairs. Swatting aside all comers in the Premier League, they would ultimately become dubbed as “Invincibles” - a complimentary moniker which has stuck with that particular bunch of players – and manager – ever since.
However, it wasn't their most successful season all across the board as they failed to build on their league crown in either the FA Cup or League Cup. Indeed, they even came up a cropper in Europe, getting gunned down on an aggregate scoreline of 3-2 against none other than Chelsea, as a late, late dramatic Wayne Bridge strike sealed their fate. The win was just another chapter in the long-standing rivalry and underlined just how much of a spectacle it could continue to be for the beautiful game.
The result came just days after Wenger's charges were beaten by Manchester United and it put a real dent in their season. As for the Pensioners, though, their surge towards “Ol' Big Ears” was halted by a Fernando Morientes-led AS Monaco in the last four.
#4 Van Persie\'s memorable hat-trick at the Bridge
How the Emirates faithful would love to see a striker of a similar calibre to Robin van Persie plying his trade in an Arsenal shirt (no offence, Olivier Giroud).
A former golden boy of the Wenger-era, the Dutch forward has lost much of the appeal he once commanded amongst the Gunners fans. After all, he did leave them to join direct competitors Manchester United as they won the league, so he’s unlikely to get a statue of himself unveiled outside the Emirates any time soon. Nevertheless, he did offer them quite a few moments of individual brilliance down through the years, and he inflicted a great deal of misery on Chelsea while he was at it.
While Nwanku Kanu is often wheeled out as the best example of an Arsenal player netting a trio of strikes against the Blues, it’s easy to forget that RVP did just the same back in 2011 as he helped his team to a 5-3 victory at Stamford Bridge, sealing his memorable matchday with a 92nd minute swerving shot that whizzed past the helpless Petr Cech.
A real showman and a mastermind, he led the line with a really clinical display nearly every time he took to the pitch, netting as many as 132 goals during his stay in north London. As mentioned, the club lack a similarly classy striker at present which has led many to believe that they will struggle to challenge for trophies this season. That said, Chelsea are leaking goals right now so it’s really hard to predict what might happen this weekend.
#5 Mourinho-Wenger sideline spat
Most recently, it was an off the pitch encounter that stole the limelight as Arsenal and Chelsea squared up to each other in October, 2014. Although the Blues emerged victorious on the day, scoring two against their opponents, there was an altogether more ferocious battle raging on the sidelines between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger.
Over time, the pair have always engaged in psychological combat, but their coming together on this particular occasion was an altogether more physical one. The Frenchman – clearly irked by a rash Gary Cahill challenge on Alexis Sanchez – became aggressive in a heated altercation with the suave Portuguese supremo and even shoved him, too.
The crowd lapped up the clash between two of football's most polarising characters, but it underlined just how serious the two old foes take their sparring. For them, it seems, this has always been more of a personal collision than a professional one, and it most certainly is not just a game.
It’s a war of attrition.
