Three things that will 'definitely' happen to Arsenal if Jose Mourinho rejoins Chelsea

Chelsea supporter calls for Jose Mourinho to replace Mauricio Pochettino have sparked theories as to what might happen as football.london discusses the implications for Arsenal

Another weekend ended in disappointment for Chelsea as they dropped yet more points this Premier League season, this time at relegation-threatened Brentford. The campaign could not be more different for London rivals Arsenal who continue to embark on their second successive title challenge.

The game began to see ugly scenes from the Chelsea fans who were criticising both owner Todd Boehly and head coach Mauricio Pochettino. There were also calls of Jose Mourinho from the away end, signifying a desire for the two-time Chelsea manager to return for a third stint following his recent exit from Roma.

Were that to happen, football.london has taken a look at three ways this might affect rivals Arsenal. The Portuguese coach has a long history and rivalry with the Gunners which could be revived upon his return.

Arteta vs Mourinho

Although Mourinho's rivalry with Arsenal was mainly associated with Arsene Wenger, upon his stint with Tottenham, the first club whom he failed to win a trophy with, a new dynamic began with Mikel Arteta the head coach of the Gunners at the time.

Despite the short time spent facing one another, Mourinho emerged with the better record, winning two of the three meetings between the sides. The first was in Arteta’s first year following Project Restart and in a near-empty Tottenham Hotspur stadium which saw an Alexandre Lacazette opener turned around by goals from Son Heung-min and Toby Alderweireld.

The scoreline was worsened upon the second meeting as Son and Harry Kane secured a 2-0 win with Arteta infamously having to push Thomas Partey back onto the field despite being injured as the England striker ran through to score. Arteta finally got his revenge in a 2-1 home win the following year as Martin Odegaard and Lacazette again cancelled out a 'rabona' strike from Erik Lamela.

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It is without question Chelsea and Arsenal are currently much further apart than Tottenham and the Gunners were when Mourinho was in north London. How it might change the game would be intriguing.

A trickier test

Chelsea managed a 2-2 surprise draw at Stamford Bridge and took a two-goal lead following a controversial penalty decision and a fluke Mykhailo Mudryk cross-turned-shot. However, a stunning Declan Rice strike and late Leandro Trossard equaliser saved a point on the day.

The fortunes of both sides have diverged even further since then, however. Yet, Mourinho has always found a way to make it difficult for teams to beat his sides, with savvy defensive tactics and frustrating formations.

When Chelsea eventually do come to the Emirates Stadium once the clash is rearranged following the recent postponement Arsenal fans would perhaps much rather face Pochettino's Blues than Mourinho’s. A testament perhaps to the Portuguese coach.

Was it just Pochettino?

Ultimately Arsenal fans will find out whether the issues at their rivals run only skin deep in the form of the manager or if Mourinho's arrival will expose that the problems do run all the way through to those running things. From a personal perspective, it is difficult not to look past the fact that Pochettino is a very good coach but has the wrong tools for the job.

Spending has been erratic and lacking strategy beyond a younger age bracket of targets. The quality of players hasn't necessarily been in question but how they have meshed together certainly has.

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