Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Arsene Wenger Talks Jose Mourinho, Cesc Fabregas in Presser

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants former player Cesc Fabregas to receive a positive reception when he returns to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Cesc left the Gunners to join Barcelona in 2011 but is now enjoying an excellent debut season with Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea. Wenger spoke ahead of the Blues' visit, per Kevin Palmer of The Sunday World:

Fabregas has produced a league-high run of 16 assists this season, per WhoScored.com, forming an excellent understanding with 19-goal striker Diego Costa. Wenger admits he wishes the Spaniard had never left: "My regret is him leaving here," per John Cross of the Mirror.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

The Frenchman also spoke about Jose Mourinho, a man who once labelled him a "specialist in failure." Wenger couldn't help but chuckle when asked about his Portuguese rival's dominance, per Palmer:

"Sunday's match (is) not about (the) relationship between managers," said Wenger, per Cross. "It is about watching a good game."

Bogdan Maran/Associated Press

Second-place Arsenal are currently 10 points behind the Blues, meaning they cannot afford to drop points if their faint title hopes are to be maintained. Wenger is yet to rule out catching Chelsea, per Audioboom:

Mourinho's team need just two more wins from their remaining six games if they beat Arsenal to confirm the silverware after an impressively consistent season that has yielded just two losses to date.

The Gunners are unbeaten in nine matches, however, so they will head into Sunday's collision with confidence. The Nov. 22 loss to Manchester United was Arsenal's last Premier League home defeat, although Monaco grabbed a north London victory in the Champions League at the end of February.

Both of Chelsea's Premier League defeats have come away from home this season, with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur doing minor damage to Mourinho's title hopes. The consolidation of second is more important than focusing on an unlikely late surge for the trophy from Arsenal's point of view.

B/R UK's James McNicholas believes the north Londoners can offer a legitimate challenge next season:

Wenger is yet to topple Mourinho in 13 matches, per Cross. Grabbing three points on Sunday could provide an interesting subplot for next season and would further establish Arsenal as an improving force.

While a positive result will eventually prove too little too late, supporters will still crave halting the progress of their fierce rivals.