Jose Mourinho Defends 'Specialist in Failure' Jibe at Arsene Wenger in Presser

Jose Mourinho has defended his decision to call Arsene Wenger a "specialist in failure" ahead of this Sunday's Premier League clash between Chelsea and Arsenal.

The Blues boss grabbed plenty of headlines back in February when he undermined Wenger, who had irritated Mourinho by suggesting other managers play down their teams' chances of winning the domestic division due to a "fear to fail," per BBC Sport.

Mourinho was understandably not interested in speaking about such an incident ahead of the coming fixture but indicated he was provoked and that an apology won't be forthcoming, reported by Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC:

The Special One previously attacked Arsenal's lack of English players during his first spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.

This is rather ironic now, as the Gunners squad is bringing through a collection of English talents, many of whom represent Roy Hodgson's Three Lions side, having added Calum Chambers and Danny Welbeck last summer.

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Chelsea, on the other hand, only rely on centre-backs John Terry and Gary Cahill for the majority of matches. Rather humorously, Mourinho also pinned the "voyeur" tag on Wenger in 2005, suggesting the Arsenal manager is more intent on speaking about the west London side than his own.

Both managers were less fiery during their Friday press conferences, however. Mourinho's comments came shortly after Wenger placed the emphasis on the two teams, not their managers, per Arsenal's Twitter feed:

Chelsea have appeared unstoppable at times this season but will certainly have to be at their best when the Gunners arrive. Both sides remain unbeaten, although the Blues have accumulated five victories compared to Arsenal's two. Six points separates them at this juncture, meaning Chelsea can stride ahead by racking up another three points.

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For Wenger, this is one of the key games in which his side's credentials will be judged. Arsenal performed poorly against the top teams last season, losing 6-3 to Manchester City, 5-1 to Liverpool and 6-0 against their next opponents. A poor Manchester United outfit also beat the north Londoners 1-0 at Old Trafford, while Everton stuck three unanswered goals past them at Goodison Park.

Arsenal showed excellent character to snatch a draw from 2-0 down against the Toffees earlier in the season. This result will aid their ability to halt the Chelsea juggernaut, which appears to be rolling toward inevitable success right now. Mourinho has only ever lost one Premier League game at home, however, meaning the task is a sizeable one for Wenger and his players.

Level-headed attitudes will undoubtedly be tested through the match. The full Mourinho show usually turns up during important fixtures, so it will be interesting to see in which manner he wishes to discuss Wenger after the final whistle.

Three points either way could go a long way to determining this season's title race. Should Chelsea ease to victory like they have been for much of the campaign, Mourinho's aforementioned comments on his opposite number may rekindle their sting.