HEAD TO HEAD. CHELSEA vs ARSENAL

                                                             If this were the only criteria there would be no debate. Wenger has never beaten Mourinho in 11 attempts, losing six times and earning five draws. Arsenal have scored six goals during those matches, while Chelsea have notched 19.

The Blues’ goal tally has, of course, been heavily skewed by last season’s 6-0 demolition at Stamford Bridge which saw Mourinho gleefully lay waste to Wenger’s 1000th match in charge of Arsenal.

Even within the context of the one-sided record between these two managers that scoreline was something of an aberration, but there can be no doubt that Mourinho has Wenger’s number in direct combat.

Wenger rarely adapts his tactics to counter the strengths of the opposition and always seeks to dominate. In his most recent autobiography, Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he developed a simple yet effective strategy for facing the Frenchman’s teams: "Stay with the runner, intercept the pass, then counter-attack quickly".

It is clear that Mourinho, arguably the best counter-puncher in world football, instructs his players along similar lines. And unless Wenger breaks the habit of a career and decides not to play into his opponent’s hands, it is difficult to envisage anything other than the Special One continuing his proud record on Sunday.