Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel recently shared insights into the fierce rivalry between Chelsea and Arsenal during his time at Stamford Bridge, Soccernet.ng reports.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, the former Super Eagles player recounted how legendary manager José Mourinho fuelled the competitive fire between the two London clubs.
Mikel revealed that Mourinho often “won the match” even before kick-off, using his press conferences to provoke Arsenal’s then-manager Arsène Wenger and set the tone for an intense on-field clash.
Mikel explained that Mourinho’s motivational tactics included emphasising the rivalry and urging players to outplay and outmanoeuvre Arsenal at all costs.
Known for his psychological approach, Mourinho instilled a winning mentality in Chelsea’s squad, extending to every match against their London rivals.
“He is standing there at the tunnel looking at you thinking ‘is he going to shake his hands?’ ‘you shake an Arsenal player’s hands?’ he will probably pull you out and tell you to go back to the changing room. We don’t look at them, we hated each other. Of course, he gets into Arsène, trying to provoke Arsène, and that’s where he wins. He wins from the press conference. He comes back to us and says, ‘Listen, I have gone to the press conference and I’ve smashed Arsène Wenger, so now it’s your turn to make sure you go into the game and smash these guys. And he used to call them kids,” Mikel recalled.
Under Mourinho’s leadership, Chelsea won multiple Premier League titles and maintained a formidable record against Arsenal, which intensified the rivalry between the two clubs.