Arsene Wenger has taken a jab at rival and fellow manager Jose Mourinho, according to the Daily Mail, over his defensively minded tactics during recent games, and has assured fans that he will never impose the same tactics with his Arsenal side due to the natural strengths of the players.

The controversy began when Chelsea played West Ham United at Stamford Bridge earlier in the Barclays Premier League campaign, and Sam Allardyce set up his team defensively so as to defend effectively against a dangerous Chelsea attack. The tactic worked and West Ham snatched a draw, to the anguish of Mourinho, who labelled his opposite number as playing traditional football. Recently, Chelsea played Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League, and in the first leg in Madrid, Mourinho played a full-fledged defensive setup to ensure Diego Simeone’s players do not get a sight at goal. This decision was looked at by supporters as hypocritical, and raised questions over Mourinho’s strengths in tough matches. The Blues ultimately lost to Atletico at Stamford Bridge a week later, and their title charge also ended on Sunday with a draw against Norwich City.

Wenger has always been a fan of beautiful passing football, and his teams have reflected the same over the past few years, even though it has not led them to a trophy in some time.