• Premier League

Mourinho ridicules Wenger the 'specialist in failure'

Jose Mourinho's war of words with Arsene Wenger has taken a new turn after the Chelsea manager described his Arsenal counterpart as a "specialist in failure".

Wenger, reacting to claims from Mourinho saying Arsenal have no excuses if they do not win the title this season, said the Chelsea boss has a "fear of failure".

But speaking at a press conference ahead of Chelsea's FA Cup tie with Manchester City this weekend, Mourinho said: "He's a specialist in failure. I am not."

Best of enemies

Wenger and Mourinho in 2007 © Getty Images

• Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger have had plenty of digs at each other over the years. Here are their greatest hits:
• Mourinho on Wenger
• Oct 2005: "I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, they have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks and speaks and speaks about Chelsea."
• Apr 2008: "The English like statistics a lot. Do they know that Arsene Wenger has only 50 per cent of wins in the English league?"
• Dec 2013: "Boring Chelsea? I agree. I played against them 10 times and I never lost, it's boring. Funny, funny Jose? 10 times they don't win once."
• Wenger on Mourinho
• Feb 2005: "Take what Arsenal and Chelsea have won in the past eight years. I go with reality, with the football we play and the challenge we have ahead. I don't see especially that Chelsea play more English players than we do. Who have they produced, homegrown? Just one, John Terry."
• Aug 2005: "I know we live in a world where we have only winners and losers, but once a sport encourages teams who refuse to take the initiative, the sport is in danger."
• Nov 2005: "He's out of order, disconnected with reality and disrespectful. When you give success to stupid people, it makes them more stupid sometimes."

Chelsea are currently one point clear of Arsenal in the Premier League, with Manchester City a further two back - though Manuel Pellegrini's side have a game in hand. Arsenal have not picked up any silverware since the FA Cup in 2005.

Mourinho added: "The reality is he's a specialist because eight years without a piece of silverware, that is failure.

"If Mr Abramovich gives me eight years to prepare a team, which I don't want - I just want my four years of contract and, after that, to deserve or not deserve the next contract - but in eight years you have to build so much, so much, so much.

"I don't want eight years. I just want four. I want the next one to say we are candidates."

When asked if he had any reaction to Wenger's claim that the title is Chelsea's to lose, Mourinho was at his sarcastic best.

"The champions are Manchester United," he said. "So Manchester United are the title's owner until the moment where, mathematically, they lose the title.

"If United are not champions this season, and we almost agree that it's almost impossible for them to be, then until."

Turning his attention to Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie at the Etihad, where Chelsea enjoyed a 1-0 victory in the league two weeks ago, he said: "It is not easy to play consecutive matches against the same team because you can be influenced by the first game.

"But the approach is the same as the last game against City. We go to win because we don't want a replay.

"City played a good game last time against us, they had big chances and our goalkeeper was important. We are confident but I believe they are too."

He added: "The FA Cup is beautiful for everybody and the draw made it even more so, because two big teams will be knocked out."

Mourinho also revealed John Terry will not make the trip. The Chelsea captain missed his first minutes of the league season when he sat out of the win over Newcastle last Saturday and is still struggling with a knock.

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