The long-running feud between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho shows no sign of healing after another high-profile falling out on Sunday, this time the result of a dispute over territory.
Midway through the first half of Chelsea’s ultimately comfortable 2-0 victory over Arsenal which stretched their Premier league lead to five points, it became clear that Stamford Bridge was not big enough for two of the game’s strongest personalities.
Especially when a seething Wenger encroached into Mourinho’s technical area raging about a robust tackle by Gary Cahill on his Chile forward Alexis Sanchez.
What happened next was both comical and unedifying in equal measure with Mourinho facing off Wenger and then getting a hearty two-handed shove in the chest for his troubles.
With the crowd in uproar, all that was missing was a theatrical tumble to the ground by Mourinho, who continues to have the Indian sign over the Frenchman he has at various times labelled a “voyeur” and “a specialist in failure”.
While Cahill’s tackle on Sanchez was barely legal, Wenger’s reaction could land him a touchline ban, especially considering that if it had happened on the pitch it would likely have resulted in a red card for a player.
Calmer after the heat of battle, Wenger played down the incident with a dash of humour.
Asked what Mourinho, who he is yet to get one over in 12 previous clashes, had said to him, Wenger added: “I don’t listen to what he says.”