Arsene Wenger Doesn't Expect Jose Mourinho to 'Park the Bus' in Big Clash

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger doesn’t expect Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho to "park the bus" when he brings his team to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The Red Devils manager has earned a reputation for being ultra-defensive in away games against the rest of the Premier League's top-six sides and, in his previous role as Chelsea boss, utilised the tactic to great effect against the Gunners.

But with United trailing league leaders Manchester City by eight points heading into Week 15 of the season, Wenger believes Saturday's game will be a little different.

"No, I don't expect anything special," the Frenchman said when asked if Mourinho will park the bus, per the club's official website. "I just expect us to be ready to recover now. Man United is a strong team, and I expect us just to cope with the problems they will give us. They will attack as well. They will not only defend."

Indeed, given the rapid pace City are setting, United can't afford to take a backwards step at the moment. Even if the Red Devils were to draw this one, their local rivals would have a chance to go 10 points clear when they host a struggling West Ham United side on Sunday.

As we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports PL, it looks as though Mourinho's game plan may need adjusting in these types of fixtures anyway:

You sense any initiative handed to Arsenal at the moment would be gratefully received, too, as the Gunners are playing some of the best football in the Premier League.

Wenger was speaking after they pulled apart Huddersfield Town 5-0 on Wednesday, with Olivier Giroud grabbing a brace and Alexis Sanchez, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil also getting on the scoresheet. They showcased an attacking verve impressive enough to worry any side in the division.

Additionally, Arsenal have shown at the Emirates Stadium that if they have a lot of the ball, they'll do damage, per the Premier League Twitter account:

While Mourinho's record as a manager is tough to argue with, there will be United supporters hoping to see the team off the leash a little more on Saturday, as the squad has the personnel to attack Arsenal.

In Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the coach has two wonderful centre-forwards in his squad. In support, there's a variety of options, whether that be the dynamic talents of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford or the guile of midfielders like Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata.

If Mourinho set up to attack, the potential would be there for a fantastic football match. But history suggests the Portuguese would be happy to make this a dour 90 minutes provided his side can take a point from it.

from Bleacher Report - Front Page http://ift.tt/2AqQosf