Why Arsene Wenger Is Finally Ready to Beat Jose Mourinho

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is an extremely measured man. He commonly exudes a professorial air, but that seems to evaporate when Jose Mourinho is around. Nothing riles him quite like his Portuguese counterpart.

With Mourinho now installed at Manchester United, the two managers are preparing to lock horns on Saturday. Remarkably, Wenger has never recorded a competitive win over his nemesis. However, there are signs that this could well be the time for Wenger to record a landmark victory.

It’s an extraordinary record that Mourinho holds over Wenger. The pair have met 13 times in competitive fixtures, resulting in seven victories for the Portuguese and six draws. Mourinho has triumphed in their last three meetings, recording an agonising aggregate score of 10-0. 

However, this will be the first time Mourinho has faced Arsenal as Manchester United manager. United midfielder Marouane Fellaini believes that will add extra spice to what is already one of the Premier League’s glamour ties, per Bruce Archer of the Express:

"

This time it will be Wenger with Mourinho! It is always exciting. It will be a good game, like always. The biggest game, the atmosphere will be there so it’s good.

When you see Man United v Arsenal, you don’t need a manager for it to be a big game.

So with Mourinho's rivalry with Wenger it will be maybe more of an edge for United’s players.

"

Fellaini’s optimism is admirable. However, there will also be cause for positive expectations in the Arsenal camp. Despite Fellaini’s words, it's difficult to make the case that United have taken to Mourinho’s methods particularly well. They have won just five of their opening 11 Premier League games and sit in seventh place—six points off Arsenal and the Champions League places.

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Mourinho, it seems, is not quite the manager he once was. His star dimmed during his final months in charge of Chelsea, as a title-winning team unexpectedly imploded before his sacking in December 2015. His time out of the game does not seem to have revived him—he is devoid of the spark that once made him the darling of the media. Already, he has started picking fights and flinging accusations at his players. 

Shortly before the international break, Mourinho questioned the commitment of some United players who had declared themselves unfit for the match against Swansea City. It was a curious move from the manager, one that led former Arsenal defender Martin Keown to write in the Daily Mail that the Portuguese's words had a detrimental effect:

"

You have to trust your players to manage their own bodies. If you don't allow the player to make that decision then you lose trust. If a manager had fronted me up publicly, I'd be knocking on his door and saying, "How dare you question me in public". I've judged that I can't play with that injury. 

[...]

But Manchester United won the game comfortably and all Mourinho has done is create damage. This would have been better to keep in-house. There is no need to air your dirty laundry in public.

"

Wenger has his flaws, but he’s never been one to criticise his players in public. It’s very rare that he’ll ever level opprobrium at his charges. As such, the Frenchman fosters fierce loyalty from his squad. 

If we’re seeing a markedly changed Mourinho, it’s worth mentioning that this version of Arsenal is a different proposition, too. When Mourinho enjoyed his dominance over the Gunners, Wenger was often caught in a state of perennial rebuilding, coping with the annual loss of key players as Arsenal struggled to meet the financial demands of the move to the Emirates Stadium.  

Now, the Gunners are back on a strong economic footing and have consequently been able to assemble their best team in years. No longer is Wenger padding out his squad with callow youth—there is experience and quality throughout. The Arsenal manager explained, per David Hytner of the Guardian:

"

I would say it’s the most mature squad I’ve had for a long time, because they are men. They are not 19 or 20 years old, they are 24, 27, 28, and the whole squad is quite mature. It’s the first time for a long time that I’ve had a team of what you can call men, ready to compete. After, we have to show that we are good enough to beat everybody else.

"

Arsenal look a more sturdy outfit than in previous seasons—in every sense. When Mourinho was at Chelsea, his teams frequently had the physicality required to bully the fragile Gunners out of games. That’s unlikely to be the case any more. With the likes of Petr Cech, Shkodran Mustafi and Granit Xhaka having been added to the squad in the past 18 months, Arsenal are as physically robust as they’ve been for more than a decade. Paul Pogba, Fellaini and Co. will know they’ve been in a battle.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Arsenal also have more strategic identity than in seasons past. Mourinho is still bedding in at United, and there’s no clear approach to the game. Tactics alter from game to game, as the manager seeks the right formula to get the best out of his players. The Gunners seem to be more settled—probably in large part due to the length of Wenger’s tenure (20 years and counting).

His tactical tinkering this season has had an overwhelmingly positive impact. In particular, the decision to redeploy Alexis Sanchez as a striker has breathed new life into the attack. The news Alexis overcame a thigh injury he suffered in training with Chile is yet another boost to Arsenal’s hopes at Old Trafford. 

It will not be easy to win in Manchester. Mourinho knows another defeat would increase the pressure on him, and there are few managers better at spoiling a game if needs be. He did so recently when United travelled to face Liverpool and played out a dull 0-0 that was not befitting of a fixture with such a glorious past.

However, this time, United are the home side. The Old Trafford crowd will expect Mourinho’s men to play on the front foot—and that could suit Arsenal. In Alexis and Theo Walcott, the Gunners have players with the pace to hit United on the break. 

If Wenger can finally land a competitive win over Mourinho, Arsenal fans may well begin to believe this is their year. The potential is there. Perhaps, after 13 meaningful matches unbeaten, Mourinho’s luck against Wenger is about to run out.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout 2016/17. Follow him on Twitter here.