Jose Mourinho: I hope I haven’t seen the last of Arsene Wenger
Wenger witnessed a 2-1 Arsenal defeat in his last game at Old Trafford as Gunners boss.
Jose Mourinho hopes to cross swords with Arsene Wenger again after his Manchester United side condemned the Frenchman to a galling defeat on his last visit to Old Trafford as Arsenal boss.
Wenger’s long and storied rivalry with United looked to be ending with a point apiece after former Red Devil Henrikh Mkhitaryan cancelled out Paul Pogba’s opener.
That would have represented a minor triumph for the given the much-changed and inexperienced Gunners XI he sent out, with more than half an eye on Thursday’s Europa League clash with Atletico Madrid.
Mourinho has had plenty of his own tussles with Wenger over the years but on a day where United paid generous tribute to him through Sir Alex Ferguson’s pre-match presentation, their current boss held out hope of further battles beyond Arsenal.
“I hope that I play against him again, I hope that can happen,” he said.
“If not in the Premier League, who knows, we still have a big match waiting for us.”
Wenger played down the prospect in the immediate future due to his apparent uncertainty over his next destination and – mischievously – Mourinho’s.
“I don’t know if honestly, first of all, he will be at Manchester United next year, certainly,” he said.
“I don’t know where I will be. At the moment I am in a bit of unknown territory, I don’t knew where I go from here or do I take a break? I would be surprised if I meet him next year.”
Wenger would be forgiven for indulging a little nostalgia as he revisited the scene of so many past skirmishes, triumphs and travails but even on a day where he received a pre-match presentation from Sir Alex Ferguson and an unusually cordial welcome from the home support, he stayed focused on the outcome.
“The players are destroyed because they gave everything and were caught in the final minute,” he said.
“I am programmed to try and win football games, I don’t think that changes. But I am thankful to Manchester United because they had a nice gesture. It is the first time I get a trophy before a game. It is very classy from them.”
As for the acclaim offered in a stadium he has often entered as public enemy number one, he mused: “Once you are not a danger any more, people love you.”
Wenger revealed goalkeeper David Ospina (ribs), Alex Iwobi (hamstring) and Mkhitaryan (knee) all received knocks during the match, while United saw striker Romelu Lukaku leave the field with a foot injury.
“To be out is not OK, he wants to play all the time, he’s never tired,” said Mourinho.
“To say immediately ‘change’ is because he couldn’t play but three more weeks until the final… I don’t know yet.
On the likelihood of finishing as runners-up to neighbours Manchester City, Mourinho added: “I think if (we) finish second it is the first time for five years, so since Sir Alex left.
“OK, progress, progress at many levels but not enough to be first instead of second and not enough to win the Champions League instead of the Europa League.”
