The relationship between the two has never been frosty as Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger resume their rivalry this weekend when Manchester United take Arsenal at Old Trafford. The rivalry between the two dated back to 2004 when Mourinho was appointed as Chelsea boss, fast forward to today it has grown worse, even to the extent of the touchline public confrontation.
In 2014, Wenger took a swipe at Mourinho that he is afraid of failure to which the former Inter Milan coach responded by calling the Frenchman “a specialist in failure”. As Wenger aims to add to Mourinho woes at United – even though he has never defeated him before- we take a look at some of the fiercest rivalries in the Premier League
Rafa Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson
Both men were at each other loggerhead when they were in the Premier League. Fergie once described Rafa Liverpool as “the most unimaginative side I ever went up against” and that the Spaniard “had more regard for defending and destroying a game than winning it”
Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson
Fergie welcome Wenger to English football in 1996 by calling him “a novice and should keep his opinion to Japanese football”. In 2002 when the former United boss said the Arsenals double winning side were “scrappers who rely on belligerence”. Wenger’s response was that “everybody thinks they have the prettiest wife at home”. The rivalry subsidized when Arsenal started declining with their 8-2 battering at Old Trafford the most pronounced.
Rafa Benitez and Sam Allardyce
Benitez always want his team to win against the Big Sam but were often given nasty experience. He had this to say of his rival “I think he’s a model for all the managers around the world…..his style of football, his behaviour, everything. He is the perfect model for kids. Their style of football….. I think Barcelona are thinking of copying the style”