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Wenger's Cesc Fabregas love affair goes on

Arsene Wenger has confirmed Cesc Fabregas' would have preferred to rejoin Arsenal rather than go to Chelsea © Getty Images

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Arsene Wenger says former Arsenal player Cesc Fabregas deserves a respectful welcome from fans when he lines up against them for the first time in Chelsea colours at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Wenger confirmed once again that he turned down the chance to re-sign Fabregas when it became evident that he was leaving Barcelona last summer and insisted a return to the Emirates was the Spaniard's first choice.

"He deserves a respectful welcome [from Arsenal fans]. Everyone respects Cesc here. I want him to get the welcome he deserves," said Wenger, before he was asked who made the decision on Fabregas making the move to Chelsea.

Still haunted by 'horrendous' defeat

Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho have had a difficult relationship © Getty Images

• Arsene Wenger has warned his players there can be no repeat of last season's "horrendous" defeat by Chelsea when they travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
• The Arsenal manager has never got the better of Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho in their 11 previous meetings, with his side's 6-0 hammering against their London rivals last season one of the low points of Wenger's 18-year reign as Arsenal manager.
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"Cesc Fabregas made the decision. When he left, we bought [Mesut] Ozil to have an offensive player. We have [Santi] Cazorla, we have [Jack] Wilshere, we have [Aaron] Ramsey, we have [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain. We were not in the need to buy any offensive players.

"It makes sense if you look at the balance of the team. That is a decision that is easy to understand." Asked if Arsenal had been Fabregas' first choice when he left Barcelona, Wenger added: "Certainly, yes, [but] I don't want to make a big story of that."

Wenger dismissed suggestions that his relationship with Fabregas broke down in his final few months at Arsenal, as he offered up a warm tribute to the player he moulded into a Premier League star.

"I have no animosity towards Cesc Fabregas," he said. "He is a person I love and a player I love. After he left us, we are all professional people and we have to respect that.

"The relationship had not broken down. Cesc Fabregas will have a great career because he is a great player. When he will look back in his career, he will find that Arsenal and myself had a very positive influence on his career, he cannot dispute that. After that, I hope that for every single person in the world that we had a positive influence and he had a great career.

"It was the first separation [that] was difficult for us. After he went to Barcelona, he can go anywhere. I personally feel that deal was done a long time ago, early in 2014. All the other speculation was just made up.

"Instinct tells me it was [a deal] done a long time ago. I explained why it was not a subject for us. We were looking for up front and defensive opportunities. We had enough midfielders, we have many.

"I didn't speak to him [Fabregas] directly in the summer. I was informed he might go to Chelsea, but when I was informed, the deal was already done. Everyone has a freedom to go where they want."

• Cesc Fabregas to score first against Arsenal on Sunday, at 9/1 with bet365*
• For full odds visit www.bet365.com >>
• *All odds correct at time of publishing.

Wenger went on to praise the performances of another Chelsea and Spain star, striker Diego Costa, since his arrival in the Premier League this season, as he prepares to try and nullify the free-scoring Spain international this weekend.

"You feel he is a killer this guy, he has that in him," Wenger said. "He has done fantastically well. I'm impressed by how he has done. All the aspects of a striker you like. He is focused, always determined, ready for a fight. I'm impressed by him.

"Coming from outside, he has done well. I cannot remember a player who has adapted like that. He has players who can feed him: Cesc, Eden Hazard. He is a very efficient player. The timing of his runs and his killing determination."

Meanwhile, Wenger confirmed defender Nacho Monreal may return to his squad for the Chelsea game after a spell in the treatment room.

Wingers Serge Gnabry and Theo Walcott are expected to return to full first-team training next week though both players will have to wait until after the international break to make their comebacks.

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