Friday 24 April 2015 11:26, UK
We look back at the first meeting between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho in 2004.
While Wenger is yet to taste victory in 12 meetings with Mourinho, his Arsenal team led twice in the very first meeting between their sides in December 2004.
Chelsea went into the game in top spot but Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ had gone through the previous season unbeaten and were the nearest rivals going into that weekend.
Things started well for the home side at Highbury too. Thierry Henry struck a bouncing ball sweetly with his left foot before shrugging off the congratulations of his team-mates - seemingly aware that the job was far from done.
So it proved as Chelsea were back level before the break as they exposed Arsenal’s growing problem with set-pieces. John Terry found space between Henry and Dennis Bergkamp to powerfully head home from Arjen Robben’s right-wing corner.
Controversy was to come though. Arsenal restored their lead when Henry took a quick free-kick while Petr Cech was busy lining up his wall and the effort deflected off Tiago Mendes and into the net.
Referee Graham Poll allowed the goal to stand, explaining: “With a free-kick around the penalty area, we always ask the players whether they want it quick or slow.”
Unimpressed
However, Mourinho was unimpressed. “Unhappy is a nice word because I cannot say the word I have in my heart or in my soul,” he said afterwards.
Chasing an equaliser, Mourinho brought on Didier Drogba to replace Tiago at the break and the chance came when Lauren fouled Robben near the right touchline.
Frank Lampard’s inswinging free-kick found the head of William Gallas and his knockdown fell into the path Eidur Gudjohnsen, who forced the ball into the net despite pressure from Kolo Toure.
It was the second goal Arsenal had conceded from a set-piece and Wenger bemoaned afterwards that his team were “too small as a unit” – clearly suffering in the absence of Gilberto Silva and Patrick Vieira.
Both teams had chances to win the match with Robben having Chelsea’s best opportunity when he danced away from the Arsenal defenders only to be denied by Manuel Almunia from a tight angle.
Chances
At the other end, Cesc Fabregas carved open the Chelsea defence by exchanging passes with Henry and Robert Pires only for the latter’s square ball to be skewed over the bar by a stretching Henry.
Wenger had paired the 17-year-old Fabregas with the 20-year-old Mathieu Flamini in the centre of midfield for the first time in the Premier League and was delighted with his young duo.
“It was an intense game, and we had much less experience than Chelsea,” he said. “In the middle of the park, our oldest player was 20 years old. I would like to congratulate the players for showing fantastic qualities.”
The introduction of Scott Parker for Gudjohnsen signalled Mourinho settling for a point – an understandable move against an Arsenal team that hadn’t lost at home in two seasons – and Wenger followed suit five minutes later in bringing Gael Clichy on for Jose Antonio Reyes.
The game finished in a 2-2 draw and Arsenal ended the weekend having dropped a place with Everton as Chelsea’s nearest pursuers, four points adrift.
The result only added to the belief among Mourinho’s men. “If you'd told me before it would be a draw, I would have said it's not a bad result,” said the Chelsea boss. “But having seen the game, I feel a bit disappointed - we were the better side and we should have won the game.”
Chelsea left Highbury having still not beaten Arsenal in the Premier League during Wenger’s tenure, but the tide was turning. Over a decade on and it’s Wenger still waiting for his first win over Mourinho.
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