Jose Mourinho 'happy' for Arsenal... but Manchester United manager can't resist verbal swipe at Arsene Wenger

Two of his long-standing records were shattered and Jose Mourinho conceded defeat in the quest for a top-four finish but he could not resist taking a verbal swipe on his way out of London.

'Finally I leave this stadium with Arsenal fans happy,' said Manchester United boss Mourinho after losing for the first time in 15 competitive games against Arsenal and his old foe Arsene Wenger.

'Arsenal fans are happy and I am happy for them. It is the first time I leave here and they are happy. And I am happy because they are an amazing club.

Arsene Wenger manages to crack a slight smile as he shakes hands with rival Jose Mourinho

Arsene Wenger manages to crack a slight smile as he shakes hands with rival Jose Mourinho

'I leave Highbury and they were crying. I leave the Emirates and they were crying, walking in the streets with heads low. Today they leave waving their scarves.


'Arsenal is a big club. You think I enjoy a big club like Arsenal not winning trophies? I don't enjoy it. But today I tried to win.

'Arsene Wenger is not a small manager, he's a big manager, to have that record of winning so many matches [against him] is not normal. Normal is win, lose, draw. I really don't care about it today.

'We had no problems. We shook hands before the game and after the game, and during the game I don't like what I never like, he puts too much pressure on the fourth official. Every time.'

Mourinho confronted Wenger over his treatment of the fourth official during the first-half

Mourinho confronted Wenger over his treatment of the fourth official during the first-half

The two managers shook hands at the final whistle with Mourinho keeping a straight face

The two managers shook hands at the final whistle with Mourinho keeping a straight face

Season at a glance

  • Premier League
  • Premier League
  • Championship
  • League One
  • League Two
  • Scottish Premiership
  • Scottish Div 1
  • Scottish Div 2
  • Scottish Div 3
  • Ligue 1
  • Serie A
  • La Liga
  • Bundesliga

The two managers have had a stormy relationship since Mourinho first arrived in English football at Chelsea in 2004 and they exchanged words on the touchline when Wenger reacted angrily to a challenge by Wayne Rooney on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the first-half.

He refused to trade in insults but the Arsenal manager will be sure to have savoured the win which ended Manchester United's 25-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.

'You know it is between two teams at the end of the day,' said the Arsenal boss when asked about the personal rivalry, preferring to focus on the rekindled hopes of making a late dash into the top four.

The Londoners still languish in sixth, two points behind United and six behind fourth placed Manchester City with a game in hand.

Granit Xhaka scored the first goal for Arsenal after his deflected effort beat David de Gea

Granit Xhaka scored the first goal for Arsenal after his deflected effort beat David de Gea

'It was important to respond after the derby,' added Wenger. 'We lost at Tottenham and it did not happen many times and you play Man United in another big game and you cannot afford to lose.

'In fact, we won at Middlesbrough and against Man City in the FA Cup semi-final, we won against Leicester and we won today. We had just one blip and overall we look a bit more stable.

'We have a big game on Wednesday at Southampton, a very good team. We still have a chance mathematically and we need some help as well from the teams around us.'

Danny Welbeck scored Arsenal's second just three minutes after the first with a bullet header

Danny Welbeck scored Arsenal's second just three minutes after the first with a bullet header

Mourinho, however, wrote off United's top-four hopes and vowed to focus on reaching the Champions League by winning the Europa League.

His team are 1-0 ahead in a semi-final against Celta Vigo with the second leg to come on Thursday at Old Trafford before they return to the Premier League at Tottenham on Sunday.

'Impossible, it's all on the Europa League,' said Mourinho. 'Two reasons. I don't think the others playing one match a week are going to lose. And because we go with everything on Thursday and cannot go with everything at Tottenham.

'Go with everything at Tottenham and it is difficult. Without everything it's more difficult. Then we have Southampton and Crystal Palace. I don't think we have any chance of the top four.

Mourinho now believes it is 'impossible' for Manchester United to finish in the top four

Mourinho now believes it is 'impossible' for Manchester United to finish in the top four

'We have to chase the Champions League by trying to win the Europa League.'

He saw his team miss good early chances at Arsenal before falling behind to two goals in three second-half minutes, a deflected opener claimed by Granit Xhaka and a fabulous second by former United favourite Danny Welbeck.

'We didn't deserve to lose,' said Mourinho. 'We had the game under control and I'm very happy with the players. I made changes, not to improve my team but to give people a rest. They surprised me in a positive way. Their mentality was fantastic, always in the game and fighting.'