Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger threatens to stop press conference over questions on Jose Mourinho row and team selection

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Arsene Wenger showed signs of strain on Friday as he threatened to storm out of his weekend press conference.

In a dramatic morning at the club’s training complex, the usually calm and collected Frenchman was visibly irked by questions over his decision to play David Ospina in Tuesday’s Champions League defeat by Olympiacos and his on-going feud with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

Already infuriated by queries over his controversial decision to pick Ospina over Petr Cech, Wenger lost his cool when pressed on Mourinho’s assertion that the Arsenal boss is the only Premier League manager who isn’t under pressure.

Arsene Wenger threatened to walk out of Arsenal's media briefing following questions on team selection

‘Stop that story or we stop the press conference,’ replied Wenger, when asked about his views on Mourinho’s comments. The war of words between Wenger and one particular reporter continued after the cameras had been switched off.

‘You should prepare your press conference in a different way,’ Wenger continued to which the journalist replied: ‘How?’

As the tense media briefing before Sunday’s clash against Manchester United continued, Wenger discussed his decision to pick Ospina.

The Gunners boss took offence to questions asked about his decisions regarding which goalkeeper to pick

Wenger slammed the journalist asking the question, saying the line of inquiry 'lacked creativity'

He said: ‘Looking at Ospina and Petr Cech I think I have two world-class keepers and it’s the easiest choice I have to make because I can pick any of the two and I am very comfortable.

‘Was I right or wrong? I never criticise that. I accept your judgment of how the team played and your assessment. But I don’t have to give you all the information regarding my decisions.

‘Do I understand the fans are frustrated over my decision to play Ospina? I don’t understand that at all. I make the decision I think is right for the game.

Arsene Wenger can scarely bare to watch as his team went down to a home defeat against Olympiacos

A David Ospina blunder contributed to the defeat, but Wenger refused to answer questions on his goalkeeper

Wenger said both his goalkeepers were world class, and said only he was accountable for his team's results

‘Am I held accountable? I am accountable on the results of my team and the way they play football.

‘Should I be held more accountable? I just gave you the answer.’

His reaction to questions over whether Cech will return was equally terse. ‘Will Cech play against United? We have two days’ training, do not always come back with that same story,’ he said.

‘I think you lack a bit of creativity in the press at the moment, that you follow a bandwagon that is very, very, very, very boring.

‘If you have any interesting questions for the game I can answer, but apart from that let’s not come back to the same story. Come to the game on Sunday and you will see who is in the goal. If you have watched the game and you come to the conclusion that we lost the game because of Ospina, I question your knowledge of football.

‘Every time Arsenal have a bad result pundits call us weak because they lack a bit of creativity in their questions and honestly they don’t analyse the game well.

‘One pundit says something on television and all behind that they repeat exactly the same thing. It is quite boring because nobody came out with numbers of this game where the game was won and lost.

Wenger refused to respond to questioning over Jose Mourinho's jibe earlier in the week

Mourinho had hit out at Wenger last week, claiming he is the only manager in England under no pressure

‘It’s quite depressing to read that and to hear that, to all come just to the same conclusion and haven’t watched well what has gone on, on the pitch. We lost the game because we didn’t defend well. Yes, the goalkeeper made a mistake but we could still have won the game.’

Despite the growing discontent among supporters, Arsenal can go level on points with top-of-the-table United with a win on Sunday.

And Wenger is adamant his side can finally conjure a sustained title tilt this season. He said: ‘If I tell you now that we are three points behind Manchester United, playing United at home and I don’t believe that we can win the Premier League, what do you tell me?

‘You will slaughter me.’

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