I will shake Mourinho’s hand, says Wenger

ARSENE WENGER insisted his public feud with Jose Mourinho was in the past as he revealed he would shake the Chelsea manager’s hand after their clash at Highbury this weekend.

Wenger consulted lawyers after Mourinho last month called him a “voyeur” who was obsessed with Chelsea, but decided against taking any legal action.

While there is still an undercurrent of tension between the two clubs, especially after the Ashley Cole tapping-up row, Wenger still moved to defuse the situation ahead of Sunday’s game.

Asked if he would shake hands with Mourinho, he insisted: “I will always do that.

“I feel the matter is in the past and what is important is that everyone sees a good football game and, for me, it’s important that Arsenal beat Chelsea.

“But I always behave the same after matches and respect everybody. When you are involved in a competition, you fight for your team and do as well as you can, but you respect everybody.”

Whatever the personal clashes between Mourinho and Wenger, the Arsenal boss’ main focus is on stopping his team falling further behind not only Chelsea, but also Liverpool and Manchester United.

“This game is of massive importance. For the whole season, not just for the Premiership,” he acknowledged, with the Gunners trailing Chelsea by 17 points with just one game in hand.

“We have to focus on how we want to beat Chelsea and not think too much about the consequences of the result. We have to go at them and play the game we want to play.

“For me, the matter is not so much what is going on between me and Mourinho, what is important is that we see an exciting game and that Arsenal play well.”

Asked about the claim that the Gunners have a soft centre, Wenger admitted: “The noise has gone around England now that, to beat Arsenal, you have to go into their face, bully them and try to get away with it. I feel we have to respond with more authority and calmness than we have until now.

“It doesn’t upset me, but it’s down to the referees to make the rules more respected. It’s down to us. As a team, you have to respond to every situation you face. Chelsea’s strength is physical power and you expect a physical game and commitment at the top level.”

Across the city, Petr Cech believes how the champions perform over Christmas and New Year will determine if they are on course to retain the title.

“It is going to be important for us to get points at Highbury. But we do not think the title race is over.

I think on Sunday evening we will still be in a good position to attack Christmas however the game finishes.”