Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho: Arsenal boss' worst defeats to rival

Arsene Wenger will face a familiar foe in an unfamiliar environment on Saturday when Arsenal travels to Manchester United.

The Arsenal boss will come up against bitter rival Jose Mourinho for the 15th time in his career, but it's the first time he faces a different team than Chelsea under the Portuguese.

Wenger has never beaten Mourinho in a competitive game -- with all due respect to the Community Shield -- while he has lost eight of their 14 previous meetings.

Here is a look at five of the worst moments for the Frenchman against his old enemy ...

Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea -- Premier League, December 2005

The feud between the two managers had already begun after Chelsea dethroned Arsenal as Premier League champions the previous season, and Wenger had made his feelings clear about Mourinho's style of play at the beginning of the campaign.

"I know we live in a world where we have only winners and losers, but once a sport encourages teams who refuse to take the initiative, the sport is in danger," he said in a thinly veiled criticism of Mourinho's defensive approach.

So it must have been all the more painful for Wenger when Chelsea came to Highbury and made sure Arsenal suffered a three-game losing streak in the league for the first time in more than a decade.

Arjen Robben and Joe Cole scored to send Chelsea nine points clear at the top of the league, leaving Arsenal 20 points behind and completely out of the title race.

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal -- 2007 League Cup final

The League Cup remains the one domestic competition Wenger has never won, in part because of Chelsea's comeback in this testy match that laid bare the raw feelings between the two sides.

Didier Drogba established his reputation as Arsenal's nemesis by netting both goals for Chelsea, and the game descended into a brawl at the end that saw three players sent off. A trophy here could have given an inexperienced Arsenal side the confidence boost they needed as Wenger tried to build around a team around young talents, but Mourinho made sure it was one of many setbacks Arsenal would suffer over the coming years.

Jose Mourinho celebrates after Chelsea edged Arsenal in a tempestuous League Cup final in 2007.

Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal -- Premier League, March 2014

Even before the match, Wenger probably would have wished to mark his 1,000th Arsenal game anywhere but at Stamford Bridge -- but no one could have predicted how painful this one would turn out.

Arsenal were already behind 2-0 after seven minutes, and things only got worse when Andre Marriner mistakenly sent off Kieran Gibbs instead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for handling on the goal line. Along with the 8-2 drubbing at Manchester United in 2011, this ranks among the worst defeats of Wenger's career. And to prove just how painful it was, he didn't even show up his for postmatch news conference.

Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal 0 -- Premier League, October 2014

This defeat even saw the rivalry between the managers turn physical. Incensed by a tough tackle on Alexis Sanchez, Wenger strode into Chelsea's technical area and pushed Mourinho hard in the chest when he tried to block the Frenchman's path.

While the Arsenal fans loved the show of passion from Wenger, it didn't help his team. Eden Hazard and Diego Costa scored to ensure another frustrating afternoon at Stamford Bridge for the Gunners.

Arsene Wenger clashed with Jose Mourinho during Arsenal's 2-0 defeat at Chelsea in 2014.

Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal -- Premier League, September 2015

Even in a season where Chelsea struggled so badly that Mourinho was sacked before Christmas, Wenger endured the same old story at Stamford Bridge. A disputed red card for Gabriel Paulista just before half time, when perhaps Costa should have been sent off instead, handed Chelsea the initiative, and they took full advantage after the break.

Wenger was left furious over the referee Mike Dean's decision, and Chelsea's and Mourinho's continued struggles after this victory was probably of little consolation.

Ancelotti: Robben injury nothing serious

Carlo Ancelotti says the injury suffered by Arjen Robben during Bayern Munich's draw with Cologne is nothing serious.

The 32-year-old was making his first start of the season in Saturday's 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena but had to be replaced by Thomas Muller at halftime.

That sparked fears Robben could be facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines, having only recently returned from two months out with a groin injury.

But Bayern reported "slightly bruised ribs" after the match and boss Ancelotti is not overly concerned by the injury's seriousness.

"He was in pain and could not go on, but it is nothing serious," Ancelotti told the club's website.

Cologne's draw meant Bayern dropped points for the first time in the Bundesliga this season in a week that has also seen Die Roten lose to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Ancelotti was disappointed but not particularly worried by the result, which came after Anthony Modeste canceled out Joshua Kimmich's opener.

"We are allowed to be disappointed, but we need not worry," he said. "We could have won the game, but Cologne had chances to take all three points home as well. We started well and had control, but Cologne improved in the second half."

Bayern hit the post twice in the match, through Javi Martinez and Juan Bernat.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger calls premier league a "world championship of managers not top players"

Asenal coach Arsene Wenger feels the premier league has become an attraction for top managers in the world but not the top players who prefer to move to other leagues. 

Even world class players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Arjen Robben or Robert Lewandowski are not playing in the premier league. 

This season alone, the likes of Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola and the returning Jose Mourinho have all joined the league making it a "world championship of managers" without top players to commensurate their arrival. 

Talking to Arsenal official Website.Com: "Everybody's ambitious -- never has the Premier League been gifted with so many ambitious people or clubs at the start of the season," 

"We haveJose Mourinho at Manchester United, Conte at Chelsea, Guardiola at Man City, Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, so it's a little bit a world championship of managers as well."

"Everybody will of course be highly focused on doing well and it will be interesting. One thing you know from the start: not everybody can win the championship and next year, more than ever, it will be tougher for everybody."

Leicester City might have won the premier league title last season with little fuss but this season will be tougher cause everybody will be gunning for the title. 

"But sometimes the media give too much importance to the managers and I believe that what is important is the quality of the players on the pitch. All English teams compete highly to be competitive and have a top squad."

Arsene Wenger will be hoping to win the premier league title yet again after going 12-years without it. 

BCCI announces mini IPL for September

The BCCI has decided to host a shortened version of the IPL overseas every September, starting this year, branding it the "mini IPL" or "IPL overseas". BCCI president Anurag Thakur said the final dates and format will be announced in due course. It is understood that a final approval is contingent to various issues being sorted, including matters with the franchises and the broadcaster.

"In the month of September, the BCCI is willing to host a mini IPL or IPL overseas," Thakur said at the end of the board's working committee meeting in Dharamsala on Friday. "[It will be] a shorter format, not home and away matches but a lesser number of matches; in a two-week window we will be able to complete it."

According to a senior BCCI official, the idea to explore playing the IPL overseas only came recently. It is understood the idea emerged after a few franchises approached the BCCI seeking permission to play friendly matches in the USA. "This has all come out of letters from some franchises who wanted to play friendly matches in USA," the official said. "Now we have turned down. Now he [Thakur] is saying we will conduct. Now if we conduct, then franchises will ask who will pay the players. What about sponsors? What about broadcasters?"

Thakur said that with the Duleep Trophy - India's first-class zonal competition - scheduled for the end of September, the BCCI only had a restricted window available for the mini IPL. "It is a tight schedule. It is in a less than two-week window we have to organise [the tournament]. And we have to look into various details: which country we can play in, how many teams, how many players should participate, who will be the broadcaster - all these issues need to deliberated, but we are keen to play in that window."

Sony owns the broadcasting rights for the IPL till 2017, but it is understood that Star, which holds the rights for home series in India, is a strong contender to bag the overseas IPL deal. "More details can be shared once we speak to the various stakeholders," Thakur said. "We'll speak to the franchises, to the broadcaster, and look at the revenue model before finalising the dates and the format."

The USA and the UAE were two options that were discussed at both the IPL governing council meeting and the working committee meeting, but Thakur remained non-committal about the venue. "There are many options, many countries host the IPL. So there will be a process to look at the various time zones available, various markets available, which could be the best partner country, whether every year it should be hosted in that country or the countries can be changed."

At the meeting, the BCCI also decided to pass the proposal to hold Ranji Trophy games at neutral venues in the coming season, and replace the state-based domestic T20 tournament - the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy - with a zonal-based competition. A release issued after the meeting also said the board will have a separate marketing budget in the coming season to "popularise" Test cricket, and restrict the participation of players in Under-19 World Cups.

Nagraj Gollapudi is a senior assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo.

Arsenal's Premier League failure not solely down to strikers

In the blue corner, a 23-goal striker. In the red one, a 21-goal strike force. When Manchester City host Arsenal on Sunday, they will do so with opposing attitudes in attack. City have conventional wisdom on their side, in the shape of the potent, prolific Sergio Aguero, who is bidding to retain his Golden Boot.

Arsenal have the squad-rotation alternative, with Olivier Giroud (12 Premier League goals), Theo Walcott (five) and Danny Welbeck (four) just passing the 20-goal barrier between them. Look at the two teams above them and Leicester's Jamie Vardy has 22 league goals, while Tottenham's Harry Kane has 25. Spot the odd one out in the top four. It is Arsenal, so often the exception.

It is tempting to draw a conclusion why they have not won the league: It is because they lack a 20-goal-a-season striker; they are the lowest scorers in the top four and have the least productive forward line. Giroud and Walcott's striking failures, compounded by manager Arsene Wenger's reluctance to spend, doomed Arsenal from the start. Case closed.

And yet the reality is more complicated, the situation more nuanced. It is a statement of the obvious that Arsenal's chances would be enhanced with the addition of a more feared forward. It is tempting to wonder if they would be top now were Aguero leading their line. Yet it is possible to win the division without a 20-goal striker and with a job-share in attack. Arsenal know that from experience.

Wenger's first title in 1997-98, with 16-goal Dennis Bergkamp securing the individual honours for illustrations of technical perfection, also saw the Frenchman platoon Bergkamp's three sidekicks, the ageing Ian Wright (10 goals), the emerging Nicolas Anelka (six) and the understudy Christopher Wreh (three), with great effectiveness. Wright did not score a league goal for Arsenal in 1998, while Anelka only mustered one in 1997, but the succession worked smoothly.

It was one of three seasons, along with 1998-99 and 2008-09, when no one mustered 20 league goals. It was one of 11 Premier League campaigns when the champions lacked a 20-goal marksman. The notion that a Premier League champion requires one is a comparatively modern one, fuelled by the exploits of Aguero, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry, the latter being Golden Boot winner in each of Wenger's more recent title triumphs.

Cast minds back further and the collective commitment to scoring that the current Arsenal team need to possess was more fashionable. After the division's inception, Manchester United won their first five league titles without anyone reaching 20 goals. Jose Mourinho's first two crowns at Chelsea came when no striker managed more than 12. They were aided by a watertight defence, but it helped that they could source goals from all departments of the side.

Mourinho's 2004-05 team featured 10 goals from Didier Drogba and 12 from Eidur Gudjohnsen, but the Icelander was often deployed deeper. They also benefited from 21 from the three main wingers, in Arjen Robben, Damien Duff and Joe Cole, and 16 from Frank Lampard, the greatest individual contributor, from the centre of midfield.

Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United finished the 1990's as an advertisement for the merits of possessing four forwards, with the back-up duo of Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer determining the 1999 Champions League final. If the shift to one-striker systems can render that comparison less meaningful, it is nonetheless notable that, while rivals had more regular scorers, Man United started winning with a target man, Mark Hughes, who contributed 28 goals over two triumphant campaigns, a No. 10, in Eric Cantona, who delivered 27, and a winger, in Ryan Giggs, who chipped in with 22, supported by a contingent of other lesser scorers. That United team did not have a specialist poacher, but had a range of accomplished footballers with different attributes.

It is no coincidence that Arsenal's drop down the table coincided with slumps from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud.

Fast forward to the current day and it is not Arsenal's policy that is flawed as much as the personnel. The Giroud-Walcott job-share offers contrasting strengths. The principle that the Englishman's counter-attacking pace could offer much away from home, while the Frenchman's height could render him more useful when opponents defend deeper at the Emirates, is not necessarily incorrect. Its implementation, however, has been unsuccessful.

Certainly there are games when it feels that Wenger has opted for the wrong forward. More significantly, whereas Wright and Anelka peaked at different points in the season, Walcott and Giroud hit the wall at the same stage. They had combined for 15 league goals between them by the middle of January; just two more, one an inconsequential 90th-minute strike in a rout of Watford, have followed.

Giroud's top-flight drought is approaching the four-month mark, which represents a startling drop-off for a player whose previous 19 Arsenal appearances had yielded 14 goals. Walcott had an autumn burst of four in six in the Premier League and Champions League. But beginning on Boxing Day, he has managed just two in those competitions. Welbeck, the one brighter spot in 2016, should be exempt from criticism, though he has never proved prolific.

And in a game where high-calibre wingers, attacking midfielders and No. 10s greatly outnumber world-class strikers, Arsenal reflect a wider trend. With elite finishers like Luis Suarez, Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Aguero tied up elsewhere, the options for buyers were fewer and, in some cases, unpromising.

So while Wenger can be faulted for assembling a strike force without anyone who has recorded 20 goals in an English league campaign, the context should be considered. The presence of such players, ones who can offer the team much but not the guarantee of vast quantities of goals, necessitates an input from others.

Alexis Sanchez, who averages almost a goal every other start, has delivered but, with Arsenal on course for their lowest goal tally in nine seasons, they are also entitled to ask if players as different as Mesut Ozil (six in 34 league games), Aaron Ramsey (five in 30), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (one in 22), Santi Cazorla (none in 14) and Per Mertesacker (none in 24) could have made up the deficit. Each has failed to reach his career average this season. One more goal apiece could have made a considerable difference. Two more each might well have done.

But non-scoring forwards represent the easiest targets, and sometimes the most deserving ones. The disappearance of Arsenal's title challenge can be attributed to the striking shortfall. Yet, while it makes matters much easier, it is very possible to win the league without a Golden Boot contender. Arsenal's inability to do so is less a failure of strategy than of execution.

Richard Jolly is a football writer for ESPN, The Guardian, The National, The Observer, the Straits Times and the Sunday Express.

Mario Gotze's time at Bayern Munich coming to a sputtering end

Bayern Munich return to Bundesliga business after the international break with a game against relegation-haunted Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

It's high time that Mario Gotze feels the love from manager Pep Guardiola once again in a Bayern shirt. The Catalan frequently professed last season: "I love Mario Gotze," but despite these regular declarations of everlasting affection, the departing Catalan can only offer the much-maligned Gotze tough love at the moment.

At first glance, Gotze's Bayern record looks decent: 105 games, 34 goals and 21 assists. However, he's only managed to see out the full 90 minutes on 40 occasions and will likely spend the rest of the season in the shop window, starting on Saturday against Frankfurt.

Compare Guardiola's consistent shunning of Gotze to Germany coach Joachim Low's faith in his undoubted talents. Gotze's standing with the national side is not in question with the 23-year-old already granted a guaranteed spot by Low for Euro 2016. Scoring the winning goal for Germany in a World Cup final naturally helps his elevated status, but the 23-year-old repaid his doting national team boss in midweek with a goal and assist from the "false nine" position as Germany steamrollered Italy 4-1.

"Every player unquestionably needs his trainer's trust," Gotze said after an impressive hour's shift in his home stadium, before adding in the massive understatement, "I'm pleased with every minute that I spend on the pitch." His hour's work for his country in the Bavarian capital is already more than he's managed under Guardiola in 2016.

Since returning after five months out with a groin injury, Gotze has languished on the bench for a full 90 minutes in seven out of eight Bayern games, with only a 53 minute appearance against beleaguered Werder Bremen to break the monotony of his frustration.

Gotze's performance is sure to have impressed Bayern's next supremo, the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, but whether it's enough to earn a starting spot against lowly Frankfurt under Guardiola is another matter entirely.

This season has been another frustrating one for Gotze in a Bayern shirt, as he endured his longest ever Bundesliga scoring drought. Ironically, he ended it with a goal after 1,317 minutes against his former side, Borussia Dortmund, in the 5-1 romp in Munich last October. Just when it looked like he was turning the corner, Gotze suffered a groin injury while on national team duty in Dublin. Incidentally, his scoring record currently stands at a single goal in 20 Bundesliga games. Whisper this quietly as Bayern will not want to scare off potential suitors, should Ancelotti not fancy retaining his services.

Quizzed as to his future plans after impressing on national team duty, Gotze could only reply "I live in the present," but it's highly doubtful that Gotze will find the inspiration to turn his decline at club level around in the next two months. He's become the proverbial bit-part player in the big games under Guardiola. Most notably, he's been benched for five big semifinals, even though the squad was regularly decimated through injury. Remember Mitchell Weiser was preferred ahead of him in the German Cup semifinal against BVB last season. The very same Weiser who left Bayern unwanted for free last summer.

Mario Gotze is a mainstay with the German national team, yet things could not be more different for the World Cup hero at Bayern Munich.

Such is their mouth-watering luxury of attacking riches, the harsh reality is that Bayern don't need the hugely-talented Gotze. Douglas Costa, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Kingsley Coman are all ahead of him in the pecking order, while forwards Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski remain remarkably injury-resistant.

Now that Guardiola's move to Manchester is a done deal, he's under no obligation to play Gotze or any of the fringe players for that matter as he concentrates on the serious matter of winning the Treble in his final season. Local boy Muller, record signing Javi Martinez, defensive rock Jerome Boateng and, more recently, the gifted David Alaba have all signed lengthy contract extensions, with top striker Lewandowski expected to follow suit in due course. Even Xabi Alonso, at the ripe old age of 34, got handed another year under his old boss Ancelotti.

Revealingly, there's been no news on Gotze, whose deal expires next year. While Bayern are unlikely to risk allowing their £37m misfit move for free, they will be understandably reluctant to sell to BVB, their only domestic rival. The Bavarian giants are only too aware that cash-rich English clubs, armed with their bountiful TV treasure chest, would be very keen to do a deal for Gotze.

Therefore, all the signs point to an exit this summer, and the obvious links to his old mentor Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool refuse to go away. The player, for his part, would be unlikely to risk his national career with a move to China, so England would appear the preferred destination. Consider the similar Bastian Schweinsteiger scenario; Bayern were only too happy to let the player go to Manchester United with a year left on his contract. These days, top dollar, or rather top pound, is almost guaranteed for the selling club with a Premier League premium.

Buoyed by his impressive Germany form, Gotze should end his current spell out in the cold at club level with a nice run out against Eintracht on Saturday. It should be a walk in the park, or rather, the Allianz Arena, for Bayern who've won six in a row at home against the Eagles, racking up 20 goals in the process and conceding just two. Going further back, Bayern have only lost once in their last 32 at home against the visitors from the Main, who haven't mustered a single goal in the previous seven meetings between the two sides. Saturday's mismatch also sees a Bayern side with the best home record in the league (12 wins out of 13) face a travel-sick Frankfurt with the poorest away record and a paltry nine points to show for their efforts on the road. The relegation-haunted visitors from Germany's financial capital are now coached by ex- Bayern defender and former Croatia national coach Niko Kovac.

Along with Gotze, Sebastian Rode is also in line for a rare start. The blonde-haired midfield harrier has only started two league games so far this season, including the narrow win in Cologne last time out, but don't be surprised if the underrated 25-year-old gets his chance to shine against his former employers Frankfurt too.

Just a minor cautionary note; after 10 straight wins to get the Bayern bandwagon rolling this season, Bayern did drop their first domestic points of the campaign in a tepid goalless draw in Frankfurt at the end of October.

Bayern remain five points clear of nearest challengers Borussia Dortmund with seven games remaining, but huge credit should be given to BVB for keeping Bayern focussed. Thomas Tuchel's rejuvenated side have garnered 64 points from 27 games at a staggering 2.37 points average per game. Compare this to Jurgen Klopp's double winning side of 2011-12, who managed 2.38 points per game and 41 times out of 53 such a points haul would be enough to claim the Bundesliga title.

At this stage of the season, the fixtures continue to come thick and fast and Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal first against Benfica also looms large on the horizon. Expect Bayern to aim for a two-goal cushion as early as possible against brittle Frankfurt and then slip into cruise control ahead of a very winnable tie against the back-to-back Portuguese champions.

The Beckenbauer Column: No winter break in EPL makes for great excitement for fans but stressful for coaches

By Franz Beckenbauer

As the Bundesliga is the only strong European league with a winter break and the second half of the season just begins this weekend, I have been increasingly looking at the Premier League in recent weeks. In England they still play football over Christmas - almost every day, so it seemed to me.

Alex Ferguson, who spent almost three decades as Manchester United manager, has had to watch from the stands as his players have lost touch at the top of the table under Louis van Gaal. This is despite having a Wayne Rooney, despite having a Bastian Schweinsteiger, even though he does not seem to be having the best time at the minute. He missed out of the recent 1-0 win over Liverpool.

Jose Mourinho, this highly regarded, world class coach, slipped so far down the table with Chelsea that he had to leave again.

Meanwhile Juergen Klopp, whose work I much admire, is trying in his own way to get Liverpool back within touching distance of
the top clubs. His approach comes over well with the English as they appreciate clear words.

I could also watch how much effort it has taken billionaire-club Manchester City to keep up with surprise packages Leicester and Arsenal, who have become strong again this season. Mesut Özil seems to have rediscovered his old form, which distinguished him at Schalke and Werder Bremen, with the Londoners.

Many are curious as to how the transfer market will proceed in England after an eruption sparked by the enormous amount of TV money received by Premier League clubs. In this regard it could be a lively January, especially as Spanish teams Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will not be able to sign players for a year from summer due to previous violations in signing youth players from abroad. If this pair want to strengthen, they have to do so by 1 February. Robert Lewandowski has been talked of as a potential candidate for Real but Thomas Mueller has made a clear commitment to stay at Bayern. And for that the fans love him even more.

The biggest names in the game still play in Spain, for Barcelona or Real. I mention only three; Lionel Messi, FIFA world player of the year for the fifth time, his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, three times world player of the year and of course Neymar - at 23 he is the youngest of the trio but is already scoring the most technically spectacular goals.

Speaking of the world player of the year, of course I would have liked to see a player from Bayern lift this trophy. With goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and strikers Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski, there were good candidates. Douglas Costa may also be considered in the future, as could Arjen Robben, if he is properly fit again and can play a full season. But currently no one seems capable of surpassing Messi.

Finally, a look at Germany and the Bundesliga. Here Bayern are leading the table by eight points but Dortmund are not beaten yet. Should Bayern struggle after the winter break, which has happened in the past, it might be close once again. But Pep Guardiola surely intends to depart Munich by winning the title before heading off to the Premier League. It seems that he will be drawn to Manchester City and it just remains to wish him good luck and to avoid the turmoil experienced there by some of his coaching colleagues.