• Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal

Wenger: You see when I really try to push

Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho went nose-to-nose after a heavy Gary Cahill challenge on Alexis Sanchez © Getty Images

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Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger insist they have no regrets about their touchline shoving match during the first half of Chelsea's 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

Wenger took exception to a tackle from Gary Cahill on Alexis Sanchez that earned the England defender a booking in the first half, and made his feelings clear to his opposite number, who didn't back down.

The Frenchman then put his hands on the chest of his opposite number and pushed him away.

The two managers have long disliked each other, with this just the latest in a long series of spats.

Mourinho remaining grounded

Eden Hazard was upended by Laurent Kolscielny before opening the scoring from the spot © Getty Images

• Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is refusing to get carried away despite his side moving five points clear at the top of the Premier League table with victory over Arsenal.
• "The start of the season is good, but it's just seven matches and the beginning of October,'' Mourinho said in his post-match news conference.
• "We have only reasons to be happy. I feel the team is good in every moment of the game.''
• Thibaut Courtois had left for precautionary tests on a head injury in hospital before Eden Hazard lit up the contest on the field, darting past two tackles, only to be felled by Laurent Koscielny for a penalty which he converted himself.
• Mourinho said: "In these matches you need one of your top players to take some magic cards out of his pocket and he did it when the game was 0-0, when the game was tight.''

Wenger's record against Mourinho now reads zero wins, five draws and seven defeats in 12 games, with just six scored and 21 conceded, and the pair disappeared down the tunnel after the game without shaking hands.

Asked if he regretted the managers' long-running feud turning physical, Wenger said: "No. What is to regret after that? I wanted to go from A to B and somebody confronted me in between without any sign of welcome. B was Sanchez, to see how badly he was injured.''

Mourinho told the Frenchman to "back off'' as the Arsenal manager firmly planted two hands on the Portuguese's chest - risking Football Association disciplinary action - and the pair also eye-balled each other in close quarters.

"Honestly I don't listen to what he says,'' Wenger added. "Look I trust you that [the media] will teach me all the moral lessons over the next three weeks. And I can accept that.''

Wenger admitted it was a push, saying "a little one''. He added: "I can try to push you. You can see when I really try to push.''

The managers have a long history of conflict. Mourinho on Friday refused to apologise for in February labelling Wenger "a specialist in failure'' and their latest contretemps will have soured the relationship further.

The Chelsea boss preferred to move on. Mourinho said: "Forget [the push]. A football pitch is a football pitch, so no problem.

"It becomes heated because this is a big game, big clubs, big rivals, [an] important match for both teams. These conditions make a game of emotions.

"There are two technical areas, one for me, one for him. He was coming to my technical area and he was not coming for the right reasons. He was not coming to give some tactical instructions or something.

"He was coming to press the referee to give a red card and I didn't like that.''

Mourinho praised Jonathan Moss for his handling of the incident, which saw referee Martin Atkinson warn both managers after consulting the fourth official. The Chelsea manager, who did not speak to Wenger afterwards, declined to criticise his opposite number's conduct.

"To be fair, I do so many wrong things in football,'' Mourinho added. "Sometimes you lose emotion and I did so many wrong things, but not this time, because this time I was just in my technical area and it was not my problem. Game over. Story over.''

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