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Mourinho takes subtle – and sensible – post-match dig at media, Wenger

Mourinho takes subtle – and sensible – post-match dig at media, Wenger

He threw his runner-up medal into the Wembley stands. He gleamed with churlish indifference in the media room as only he can.

Jose Mourinho was up to his old tricks after Chelsea fell to Arsenal in the annual Community Shield match. Only this time, it wasn’t really a trick.

The Gunners beat Chelsea for the first time since October of 2011, a run of eight games in all competitions during which Chelsea moved firmly in front of its local rival as London’s elite club.

Part of the Blues’ success lay in their ability to play a more defensive style if needed, packing numbers behind the ball and thundering forward when given the opportunity to counter. Perhaps unfairly, the tactic has come to define Chelsea for legions of opposing fans, and Mourinho has come under fire for it.

On Sunday, however, it was Chelsea that played with initiative. It was Chelsea that threw numbers forward with more regularity. It was Chelsea that seemed unlucky not to start the 2015-16 campaign with a trophy.

And it was Mourinho who was perturbed:

It depends on the perspective, because normally you [the media] like to say that the team who defends very well doesn’t deserve to win, and I have to go in your direction and say the best team lost and the defensive team won. ... But I also have my opinion. My opinion is that the team the defends very well and the team that leaves their philosophy in the changing room and changes their philosophy and leaves 10 players behind the ball and play the whole second half with nine players in front of the box … This is football. This is very good tactical organization. In that perspective they scored one goal, they deserved to win.

Once you sift through all the shade thrown at Arsenal and manager Arsene Wenger, who beat Mourinho for the first time in 14 tries and opted against shaking his rival's hand, a clear and salient point emerges: Arsenal is now drawing praise for winning in a way that’s drawn Chelsea criticism.

It isn’t new, either. Media members marveled at Arsenal’s win at Manchester City last January, the first time in a long time it avoided embarrassment on the road against the Premier League’s elite, let alone left the ground victorious.

Many have speculated that a more withdrawn, cautious approach away from the Emirates would help Arsenal take a big step toward winning the Premier League crown. Well, the way Mourinho sees it, Chelsea’s done that and won nothing but scorn.

He furthered his thoughts:

Chelsea was the best team, had the more initiative, had good control, good ball possession. … We had more initiative, more of the ball, but they played their game tactically. They found themselves in front 1-0 without any reason. They put a lot of players in the back so well done to them.

Putting aside his “best team” cracks many would agree, but surely Mourinho wouldn’t concede that Arsenal was the better side last April when Chelsea sat back and earned a vital away point en route to the league title it’s hard not to read Mourinho’s words as a shot at both Arsenal and the media.

It’s also hard not to understand where he’s coming from.

In any event, Mourinho admitted his team looked a step slow, which is to be expected in what amounts to the last pre-season friendly for both clubs, no matter what trophies are awarded or how much hype is attached.

This one only had a different feel because it’s Chelsea vs. Arsenal, Mourinho vs. Wenger, West London vs. North London. The rivalry is fueled by comments like the ones Mourinho made after the match.

The two teams meet again on Sept. 19 at Stamford Bridge. If that fixture follows a similar script, Mourinho might, too.