Arsene Wenger is keen to play down his touchline clash with Jose Mourinho on Saturday.
As London ‘neighbours’ there was no love lost between the two men with the Chelsea boss regularly taunting his Arsenal counterpart.
Since landing his ‘dream’ job at Old Trafford Mourinho has been a picture of misery with even life in the Lowry Hotel upsetting the adopted Londoner.
On Saturday touchline relationships will be tetchy and strained as Wenger greets the latest occupant of Sir Alex Ferguson’s former perch.
Despite having the opportunity to go nine points clear and pile the pressure onto Mourinho the Arsenal boss is keen to downplay the personal aspect to Saturday’s clash.
‘I don’t think I have to describe our relationship. He will fight for his team and I will fight for mine and that is normal. Of course I will shake his hand. I will respect the ritual in the Premier League.
‘I have won against every manager in the world but it’s not between two managers, it’s between two clubs. It’s not the controversy that makes the audience, it’s the quality of the game.’
Wenger will assess the fitness of Alexis Sanchez in training tomorrow before deciding on whether to start with the striker at Old Trafford. Hector Bellerin will miss the match and faces four weeks on the sidelines after being injured in the draw against Tottenham.
