Arsene
Wenger probably didn't sleep well on Saturday night. Tossing and
turning with the injustice of the day’s events at Stamford Bridge still
feeling very raw indeed. And who could blame him.
On an afternoon where
the form book suggested he might finally defeat Mourinho in a
competitive game, a positive start was undone with an early red card for
defender Gabriel seconds before half time. Predictably, Diego Costa was
at the centre of it all. It was a nasty, provocative performance from
the Spain international, fully justifying his reputation as the Premier
League’s go-to pantomime villain.
In
case you didn’t know, Mourinho and Wenger don’t get on. And despite a
rather forced handshake before the game, a certain animosity was present
on the pitch from the first whistle. Diego Costa and Arsenal’s
defenders aside, at its core this was a contest between two managers at
opposite ends of the footballing spectrum. Mourinho’s win-at-all-costs
pragmatism verses Wenger’s own brand of expansive, aesthetics-first
football. There were bound to be fireworks in such a collision of
philosophies.
This
difference in mentality perhaps explains why Mourinho assembles his
title-winning teams with more than a fair share of gritty, streetwise
players. Essien, Carvalho and Drogba in his first stint at Stamford
Bridge; Lúcio and Diego Milito in his days at Inter Milan; Matic and
Diego Costa are vital cogs in Chelsea 2.0. All warriors and all,
inevitably, winners. In contrast, the post-invincibles era has seen
Wenger spend the majority of his money on nifty, number 10-types, from
Arshavin to Cazorla to Ozil to Sanchez, as he seeks to prove that
success on the pitch can be achieved the right way, with football in its
purest form.
Unfortunately
for Wenger, as was clear against Chelsea, the margins between triumph
and defeat at the highest level are desperately fine. Skill and
technique alone often aren’t enough to guarantee a win. Other, less
quantifiable qualities make a telling contribution. Drive, determination
and steel, not to mention the important ability to take advantage of
the game’s dark arts.
For
example, would Pep’s, or indeed the current Barcelona side, have been
as successful without the antics and gamesmanship of Sergio Busquets in
midfield? The man is as fine an actor and manipulator of referees as he
is a player – which is saying something. Last season a Celta Vigo player
was sent off for throwing grass as Busquets. For throwing grass!
If
you cast your mind back to that famous Champion’s League semi-final
between Mourinho’s Inter and Barcelona in 2010, you’ll remember that
Busquets was responsible for Thiago Motta’s sending off. It forced the
Italians to hold on for over an hour against one of the best club sides
of all time. It was a crazy, unforgettable match displaying both the
dark arts fluency and the mental attributes currently lacked by
Arsenal’s players. Mourinho’s team came through that game exactly
because of those intangible qualities: a will to win, steel and
determination.
The
debate between football's dark arts and those who want a clean game is
in many ways irrelevant. As much as we want to turn our noses up at
diving, play-acting, deliberate provocation and the like, there’s no
doubt that it’s an element of the game there to be exploited. Sadly it
will remain so until technology is used to assist referees who simply
can’t keep their eyes on all players at all times.
In a perfect world Arsenal’s free-flowing approach would see them coasting to the title every season. Unfortunately the Premier League is far from perfect. Mourinho will argue that winning
ugly is still winning, and in the years to come this will simply go
down as another game in which Wenger couldn't get the better of him.
It's likely that true footballing perfection lies somewhere in between the extremes of Wenger and Mourinho. This perhaps
explains why a Manchester City squad bursting with grit, presence and
flair in equal measure look favourites to win the league this season.
It
says a lot that had Diego Costa been playing for Arsenal on
Saturday, they probably would have left Stamford Bridge with three
points. His contribution, however controversial, made all the difference
in the end.
After
a summer where Arsenal were the only club in Europe's top leagues not
to sign a senior outfield player, Wenger desperately needs to add some
steel, and perhaps a touch of nastiness to his team of charming young
men. Without these attributes they will continue to lack the
ruthlessness required to win league titles.
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