Maradona call cheers up Mourinho after United draw

Even after factoring in all that Mourinho has to do, a finish outside the top four will be a failure.

French striker Olivier Giroud converted a late header for Arsenal to snatch away 1 point from the grasp of Manchester United.

Mourinho, though, believes it is only misfortune that is keeping his team from the Champions League places. But against a side much superior to those, they were clearly better: more incisive, more coherent and more compact.

“Of course, it is two points dropped. We have to pick ourselves up, we are pleased with the performance but not with the result”.

Gunners boss Wenger did not think the incident merited a penalty. Especially because my last Premier League title was 18 months ago, not 18 years ago. I think he has struck that balance. “Mourinho’s view is that it was a penalty and you will not be surprised by that”. Wenger hasn’t won the league with Arsenal since 2004.

The visitors were a little fortunate to escape with a point from that meeting, with goalkeeper David Ospina having produced an excellent display, and Wenger wants his side to prove they have progressed since then. “Previous year we might have lost this game so we have improved on that front”.

Speaking after the game, Mourinho said: “We are the unluckiest team in the Premier League”.

But he was given a first Premier League start this term after he apologised to Guardiola for “misunderstandings of the past” and the Ivory Coast midfielder made up for lost time as he put City ahead with a powerful strike from inside the penalty area in the 39th minute.

Earlier he had been asked how he explained the result and simply said: “I don’t”. “I could be working in some of the biggest cubs in Europe and I waited for the chance to work at a club where I wanted to be”.

Mourinho was delighted with how his side defended for the vast majority of the game, and insists that they should not feel too disheartened by Arsenal’s late equaliser.

And when Mourinho came to the end of his press conference, he left the room saying, “Finally I lost against Arsenal”. Mourinho never passes up an opportunity to throw shade at Wenger.

Spurs beat West Ham on Saturday evening and are now a point behind Arsenal, while Chelsea have the chance to reach the summit of the league when they play Middlesbrough on Sunday. “I love playing for my country and I am proud of my achievements to date”. And this is a more hard reality, because it is an extremely hard competition, with teams being prepared for a lot longer, with excellent players, with excellent coaches.