adminLONDON. — Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, has provoked fresh acrimony with Arsène Wenger by declaring his Arsenal counterpart has a squad which ought to win the English Premier League soccer title every season and that he is baffled by their failure to do so.
Mourinho did not name Wenger in his latest jibe, though the inference was obvious. The Frenchman’s disgust with Diego Costa’s conduct in Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday also led to the Chelsea manager to accuse him of perpetual “moaning”.
Asked about perceptions of Wenger, Mourinho said: “I think Arsenal has the squad to be champions. And every season I feel that. I don’t know [why they are not]. But that’s my feeling. I like every player. I tell you if one of their players is a free agent and they don’t want him there, I get every one [of them]. I like all of their players.”
Wenger said referees ought to be wise to Costa’s antics, after the Chelsea striker had goaded Gabriel Paulista into getting himself dismissed, having avoided a red card when swinging an arm into Laurent Koscielny’s face. “He is not a newcomer. He was here for a year now. It is surprising,” Wenger said.
“I tell you something: If I am a referee and I referee Diego Costa, I do not send somebody off quickly if he responds . . . because you know he has been well provoked.” — The Independent.
Online Reporter