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Arsenal vs Chelsea: Jose Mourinho does not care if Cesc Fabregas gets a hostile reception at the Emirates Stadium

The former Arsenal captain makes his return

Friday 24 April 2015 14:16 BST

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (Getty Images)

Jose Mourinho says that he does not care whether Cesc Fabregas gets a hostile reaction on his first return to the Emirates Stadium as a Chelsea player on Sunday, having persuaded the midfielder to return to England with the promise of winning trophies.

Speaking today at the club’s Cobham headquarters ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League game against Arsenal, Mourinho compared Fabregas’ return to Frank Lampard coming back to Stamford Bridge with Manchester City. He said he could not predict the likely reaction to Fabregas. “I'm not worried about that,” he said. “Frank Lampard played at Stamford Bridge without any kind of problem and with a good reception.

“I don't see a reason for Fabregas not to have the same at the Emirates. But, if he has some bad reactions, I think he's one of the players who is more than ready. He played in Barcelona with an Arsenal shirt. Why can't he play at the Emirates with a Chelsea shirt? No problem.”

“I know why he chose Chelsea. I don't know why he didn't choose Arsenal. I can only speak about what we promised him. I can't talk about the decision for him leaving Arsenal, or what stopped him going back. I don't know if it was the manager's or his decision.

Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

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1/12Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

David Ospina (Arsenal)

Yes, it comes as a shock, but the Colombian makes the cut ahead of Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois on recent form – as this team is picked – given his impressive spell in the Arsenal goal. Having ousted Wojciech Szczesny from the sticks, Ospina has cemented his role so much that Szczesny looks set to be sold in the summer, and the 26-year-old has conceded just three goals since the start of March, compared to Courtois’s six.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)

The utility defender is one of the best right-backs around in the Premier League, and his worth to the team has been shown over the years since his arrival in 2008. Ivanovic is a prime example of a big time, having shown his best form in matches against their top four rivals as well as on the European stage. When these teams met at Stamford Bridge, he was able to keep Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla quiet as the two swapped flanks.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

John Terry (Chelsea)

He’d probably be the captain too. Terry’s worth to the Blues is unquestionable, and his performances this season show why the club are happy to prolong his career-long spell at Stamford Bridge. He commands the back-line and remains a physical threat at attacking set-pieces, and seems to relish the London derby when he comes up against the Gunners.

Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)

Without doubt Arsenal’s most consistent defender, although that doesn’t say a lot given the rest of the options available. That doesn’t do Koscielny justice though, as the Gunners are a much stronger team with the Frenchman in the side as his injury absences in the past have shown. Has an eye for a goal – much like Terry – and his pace at the back remains his strongest trait.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

He may be a natural right-back solving a problem on the left, but it’s some feat to keep out a Champions League finalist and La Liga winner in Filipe Luis. Neither Nacho Monreal or Kieran Gibbs have shown the form to put themselves in consideration, and with Azpilicueta’s perceived weakness coming in the air, he is unlikely to be tested against an Arsenal side notorious for playing on-the-ground technical football.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)

The Serbian defensive midfielder is probably leading the way in the holding role, although Frances Coquelin as emerged from the Arsenal youth ranks to make the position his own at the Emirates. It’s quite likely that Matic will look to latch on to Mesut Özil, having nullified the playmaker’s threat in the reverse fixture last October that also saw Özil injured for over three months.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)

The former Arsenal captain returns to the Emirates for the first time since leaving the club in 2011, and after a mixed reception from the Gunners support last October, the reunion may well be one to forget. However, despite his performances of late not quite matching up to his early season form, he still has the talent and ability to secure three points single-handedly, and his understanding with Eden Hazard – as demonstrated in the 1-0 victory over QPR – gives the Blues a threat that the Gunners currently lack.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)

The Chilean has more than justified his expensive transfer last summer having established himself as a firm favourite among the red half of North London. Sanchez has the ability and awareness to play across either flank as well as a prolific goal-threat through the middle, and his ability to come up with goals when the side isn’t at its best – the recent FA Cup semi-final victory over Reading immediately springs to mind – gives Arsenal something they’ve lacked in recent years.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

The World Cup winner can be accused of taking time to settle at Arsenal, but he appears to be growing in confidence with each games he comes through. He may not get the plaudits due to his lack of goals, but the chances he’s creating for those around him are of the highest quality, and he’s a big reason why Arsenal head into this weekend’s game off the back of a nine game winning streak.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Surely he’ll win the Player of the Year award? Hazard has backed up his promise to challenge for the crown of being named the best player on the planet with a simply sublime season, and he can lay claim to winning his side 11 points single-handedly this term – more than their current 10-point gap at the top. He run Arsenal ragged at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, and it remains clear that Arsene Wenger is yet to work out how to stop the Belgian maestro, who can realistically claim to be among the top three players on the planet.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)

Had Diego Costa been fit and at his ferocious best, Giroud would probably be sitting among the substitutes, but is yet to overcome his troublesome hamstring injury and while he could return against the Gunners, it’s the Frenchman’s 10 goals in his last 10 starts that locks down his position in our side. However, it’s time for Giroud to step up, as he is yet to register his first goal against Chelsea since arriving at Arsenal in 2012.

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Arsenal v Chelsea combined XI

Manager - Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)

The clash between the two managers in October dominated the headlines, more so than the Blues' 2-0 victory. But the simple fact is that Arsene Wenger is yet to beat Jose Mourinho, which makes this decision an easy one. Until The Professor earns his first win against The Special One, it's a one-horse race.

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“I just promised him we'd build a team very adapted to his style of play. That he was going to be an important player in our project. And that, normally, good projects end with titles. He was looking for that. That's all I can say.”

Mourinho said that he will be without the injured Loic Remy again for the game. There will be a late decision made on the fitness of Diego Costa who has made a quicker return from his hamstring problems than was first predicted. Didier Drogba is available and Dominic Solanke, the 17-year-old breakthrough star of the academy, was withdrawn from an Under-21s game yesterday in order that he might potentially be on the bench.

Cesc Fabregas wearing the shirt of Chelsea (GETTY IMAGES)

Fabregas left Arsenal in 2011 after eight years (Getty Images)

Should Chelsea win against Arsenal and then at Leicester City on Sunday they will secure the club’s first Premier League title since 2010.

In his press conference with broadcasters, Mourinho played down his rivalry with Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal manager is yet to record a victory over his opposite number in 12 matches between them. Mourinho said that record was not foremost in his thoughts.

“He [Wenger] is not my rival. I don't feel that. He's a manager of a big club in the same city where I work and live. A big club with the same objectives that we have in the competitions we play. With that comes a bit of rivalry. But it's not different for me with the Milan manager when I was at Inter, or the Atletico manager when I was at Real and with Benfica when I was at Porto.”

He added: “I'm not proud [of the record]. For me, the achievement is to win on Sunday. Not the other 12 matches. I don't look to this, to numbers, to what I did against this manager or that club. That's not at all for me.”

“I think they [the players] didn't even know. They don't even know, unless they watch TV in the last couple of days or read every paper. Players don't look to these details. Matches are isolated events. No relation with the previous one or the next one. I don't think they care about it. What they care about is the way we work all week, the way we prepare ourselves for the game, and the confidence we have. That's what matters.”

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