Arsene Wenger might have preferred a different venue to mark such a prestigious milestone as 1,000 games in charge of Arsenal.
A date with Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge can be the source of hostility and aggravation for rival managers but seldom any points.
It is 75 unbeaten home games and counting in the Barclays Premier League for Mourinho, who was unable to resist the chance to damn one of his favourite victims with more faint praise on the eve of a remarkable achievement.
These two have bickered about telescopes, handshakes and Christmas cards over their years of combat while Wenger considers Mourinho a champion of ‘financial doping’ and finds himself branded a ‘specialist in failure’ in return.
This fixture has wallowed in animosity for 10 years, since Roman Abramovich aimed his ‘Russian tanks’ at Highbury and Mourinho arrived in London to depose the Invincibles.
But if Sir Alex Ferguson is right and these bitter managerial feuds are necessary by-products of elite competition, then Wenger will be pleased to be firmly back in Mourinho’s range.
Four points separate the teams. Arsenal have a game in hand; Chelsea a better goal difference. Chelsea have Willian and Ramires suspended; Arsenal their usual injury pile-up. Arsenal have the Premier League’s best away record; Chelsea a tight home defence.
‘It is the game of the season for us,’ said Wenger, and the pre-match chat drifted back into the realms of barely veiled insults when he thought it ‘stupid’ that any of the top four would pretend not to be in the title race.
Mourinho has been at pains to stress his team will not win the Premier League and that fixtures have conspired against Chelsea’s progress in Europe.
Wenger, having gone out of the Champions League to Bayern Munich, noted Chelsea’s route had been much gentler. ‘That was not very demanding against Galatasaray,’ he said. ‘They were in a comfort zone.’ It will always be thus with these arch rivals cast to represent a Premier League struggle between good and evil.
There is Mourinho in his relentless desire to win at all costs, rolling up his sleeves on Friday and spoiling for another anti-establishment fight to clear his name after being sent to the stands by Chris Foy last week and charged by the FA with improper conduct.
This year Arsenal may have sacrificed a little adventure for solidity but Wenger has an eye on the title and FA Cup. It would be the icing on the cake if he could win a trophy and extend the contract which expires this summer.
‘I want to stay,’ said the Frenchman, 65 later this year. ‘I do not want to look somewhere else. It will be done soon.’
As for the hundreds and thousands, Wenger said: ‘I am an idealist but not a fool. I am extremely passionate, maybe more than ever, but I have to accept the next thousand will be difficult.’
