Premier League Notebook Heading into Week 34
“Am I afraid of failure? He is a specialist in failure. I’m not. So if supposing he’s right and I’m afraid of failure, it’s because I don’t fail many times. So maybe he’s right. I’m not used to failing. But the reality is he’s a specialist because, eight years without a piece of silverware, that’s failure.”
Those are the famous comments Jose Mourinho made about Arsene Wenger in February 2014.
It's fair to say there is little love lost between the pair. The managers have traded barbs almost incessantly ever since the Portuguese landed in the Premier League back in 2004. Earlier this season, their feud stepped up a notch, as Wenger even put his hands on Mourinho during a heated moment during their clubs' league meeting at Stamford Bridge.
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It would be tempting to discover who would win in a physical battle—is there any space remaining on the Mayweather-Pacquiao undercard?—but, as far as the mind games go, the title belt has long been in Mourinho's hands.
Wenger—the aforementioned "specialist in failure"—may give as good as he gets in the press conferences, but ultimately, his arguments are undercut somewhat by the cold facts. Chelsea arrive at Emirates Stadium on Sunday knowing they will be able to clinch the title as early as Wednesday (against Leicester City) if they win, whereas an Arsenal success will only prolong the inevitable for a couple more weeks.
Wenger may have ended his trophy drought in last season's FA Cup, but even so, there is little he can do when Mourinho, who he has never beaten in a competitive game, starts talking about silverware.
"I don’t want to talk about [the relationship with Mourinho] because what is important is when the game starts at four o’clock, to have a great game," Wenger said on Thursday, per the club's official website. "That’s what English football needs, to know that Arsenal against Chelsea is a big game and is not about the relationship between the managers."
In the absence of real, genuine intrigue about the match itself, however, people will inevitably look instead at how the two men in the dugout square off. Wenger has much to be satisfied about in terms of the way his side has progressed this season, yet they remain far adrift of the bar the Blues have set—a fact Wenger knows all too well, per Arsenal's official website:
"Look, you have to face reality. We live in a real world and the real world is dictated by points. But sometimes you have to take a perspective as well.
When you are fighting for the championship—and I know that well—when you are on a good run, sometimes you take points that in another season if you were two or three places behind, you would not take. The focus and belief is there and is a bit stronger that we can take these points.
The difference between the teams is not only measured by the difference in points. But nobody has given Chelsea the points. They had to fight for it and they made it.
"
Chelsea did have to fight for it. Sunday gives them a chance to drive that point home, but regardless of the result, Mourinho has won the battle this season. Although, the fact he continues to twist the knife perhaps does not speak too well to his character.
It is too late to make a title push this season, but on Sunday, Wenger can still make a statement to take into future campaigns. Beat Mourinho on the pitch once, and perhaps he can start to turn the tide off it too.
Week 34 Fixtures
All games 3 p.m. BST (10 a.m. ET) unless otherwise stated.
Saturday
Southampton vs. Tottenham Hotspur (12:45 p.m.)
Burnley vs. Leicester City
Crystal Palace vs. Hull City
Newcastle United vs. Swansea City
Queens Park Rangers vs. West Ham United
Stoke City vs. Sunderland
West Bromwich Albion vs. Liverpool
Manchester City vs. Aston Villa (5:30 p.m.)
Sunday
Everton vs. Manchester United (1:30 p.m.)
Arsenal vs. Chelsea (4 p.m.)
1. What to watch out for this week
Villa need to focus FA Cup momentum
If things go against them, Villa could be just a point above the relegation zone by the time they kick off at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The club may be riding high after reaching the FA Cup final last weekend, but it is worth remembering just how precarious their Premier League status remains. They are not safe just yet, not by any means.
Manchester City are not safe in their own aims either, although their path to a top-four finish was made noticeably less bumpy by their victory over West Ham United at home a week ago. Manuel Pellegrini's side could and perhaps should have won by a greater margin than 2-0, although a similar result this week would no doubt be happily accepted.
Villa's next two games are at home to Everton and West Ham, games where manager Tim Sherwood might deem his team to have a far greater chance of picking up some points. But, especially with a final day meeting against Burnley starting to loom on the horizon, stealing something against Man City would make the entire run-in a lot less fraught.
As club captain Ron Vlaar said this week, per the BBC, "We have to make sure we stay in the league—that's the most important thing—and then we have a final to play at the end."
Sunderland show colours in Johnson decision
After being charged with three counts of sexual activity with a minor on Thursday, as reported by the BBC, Adam Johnson will remain available for Sunderland until his trial reaches court. Perhaps this is the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" in action for the Black Cats, or perhaps their league situation is so precarious they simply cannot afford to suspend a player who could provide the moment of attacking inspiration that defines their survival.
Everton pursuing good feelings against United
It was all so different a season ago for Everton and Manchester United. United ended up losing both their meetings with the Toffees, results that cast Roberto Martinez as an innovative, attacking manager and helped put a couple of the nails in David Moyes' Old Trafford coffin. The future looked bright for Everton, whereas United appeared to be in turmoil.
Coming into this weekend, however, and the turnaround has been stark. United are reaching the final stages of an impressive overhaul under Louis van Gaal. That overhaul came with its fair share of growing pains along the way, but it has now flourished into something extremely ominous. Second (or third) might be the best they can do this season, but they look primed to contend for the title from the start next season.
Everton, meanwhile, have failed to build on the success of the previous campaign. Martinez's men only extricated themselves from the fringes of the relegation battle over the last few weeks. For a side many expected to be fighting for the top six, that is simply not good enough.
The meeting at Goodison Park will perhaps have little impact on either side's current season, but it could help set a tone for next year. An Everton win would give them a chance to finally build some momentum as they head into the summer and perhaps learn from what has been an occasionally tortuous campaign.
"As a team we have been tested this season and individually there has been a point where you have to push yourself through, learn from the experience and become a proper performer for the team," Martinez said, per the BBC.
2. Video of the week
3. Player to watch
All eyes will be on Cesc Fabregas this weekend as the Chelsea midfielder returns to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in the colours of his new side.
Last summer, many speculated that the Spaniard would return to the Gunners—after all, his old team had first refusal on him if he ever departed Barcelona—but things did not quite work out that way, with the 27-year-old landing at Stamford Bridge instead.
It has been a profitable move for Chelsea, as Fabregas has been a key reason why Jose Mourinho's side are on the verge of clinching the Premier League title. But Arsenal, watching on, perhaps have cause for regret.
As Wenger said on Thursday, again via the club's official site:
"The regret I have is that he wanted to leave here. This club and myself had a very positive influence on Cesc’s life. I want every player to be respected, and [I want] Cesc Fabregas when he comes to the Emirates on Sunday to be respected like he deserves.
"
It will be interesting to see the reception Fabregas does indeed receive, or how he reacts at being back at the club that he has always said retains a special place in his heart. Victory for Chelsea would all but guarantee them the title. There would be a Shakespearean element to it all if, amid the celebrations, one of the key players was deep-down wishing he was achieving his dreams in different colours.
4. Game of the weekend
Burnley vs. Leicester City
Don't look now, but it appears we have a genuine six-pointer in the Premier League this weekend between Burnley and Leicester City. Why neither Sky Sports or BT Sport have opted to show the big game at Turf Moor is an intriguing question—are relegation battles just not sexy any more?—but that should not diminish its importance, with both sides knowing three points could define their season.
Depending on results elsewhere, both sides will jump out of the bottom three for the first time in many moons with a win (Burnley, on 26 points, need other results to go their way, while Leicester, on 28, would surely leap to safety). The Foxes in particular may feel that, if they can get out of danger, they will not return again. Four of their final five games after this one are at home, while the other is a trip to fellow strugglers Sunderland.
That has led many to suggest Leicester are odds-on to secure their survival, not that Burnley will see it that way.
As Leicester boss Nigel Pearson said in an interview with Stuart James of the Guardian on Friday:
"I can sense when there is a shift, all of a sudden it’s ‘Leicester will be all right now’. B------t.
We’ve got to be really focused now, try and influence what you can here and not join in with the daily and weekly debates. It’s almost like Peter Snow’s Swingometer on election night. And how interesting is that? Well, it’s not, is it?
The bottom line is that results come in when the votes are counted and yet people put so much emphasis on a swing which may not actually have a huge bearing on it. Ultimately we’ve got to try and do our own job.
"
