London--Chelsea's trip to Arsenal on Sunday has been billed as a Premier League title decider, but in reality it is likely to have more of a bearing on next season.
With 11 wins and two defeats since the turn of the year, Arsenal have amassed more points per game in 2015 than any other team in Europe's five major leagues, but still they trail Chelsea by 10 points.
Chelsea will be champions if they beat Arsenal and win at Leicester City on Wednesday, but even though defeat on Sunday would probably only delay their coronation, it could herald the start of a north London revolt.
Fixtures between Arsene Wenger's Arsenal and Jose Mourinho's Chelsea have traditionally represented a collision of competing ideologies, with Wenger the style-obsessed romantic and Mourinho the cold, hard pragmatist.
While clubs around the world fell over themselves to ape the possession-based approach of Barcelona and Spain during the high point of 'tiki-taka' -- emboldening Wenger to cram even more small, technical midfielders into his starting XIs -- Mourinho remained true to his counter-attacking convictions.
Those principles were in evidence last weekend when Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge despite seeing only 30 percent of the ball.
The contrasting philosophies underpin the ill-feeling between Wenger and Mourinho, who clashed on the touchline during October's reverse fixture (a 2-0 Chelsea win) and who have traded ideological barbs this week.
Responding to Wenger's claim that "it is easy to defend", Mourinho made a characteristically caustic reference to Arsenal's Champions League exit, saying: "If it was easy, you wouldn't lose 3-1 at home to Monaco."
Both men have played down the significance of their personal rivalry, but with Wenger having never beaten Mourinho in 12 attempts and having claimed only two major trophies to the Chelsea manager's six during the time they have both spent working in England, it is clear where the balance of power lies.
AFP
