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London rivals bury hatchet ahead of FA Cup semi
There was a time, not so long ago, when collisions between Chelsea and Arsenal were saturated by spite.
After his appointment as manager at Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho appeared to go out of his way to target his Arsenal counterpart, Arsene Wenger, the man he infamously labelled a "voyeur".
Wenger never bothered to hide his contempt for a manager he viewed as disrespectful and a club whose cash-rich methods he despised. The result was a series of increasingly bitter clashes between the rivals.
But now the poison has been drawn.
Wenger is a more circumspect manager, his fierier habits tempered by age, while Mourinho's departure has made the Chelsea dug-out, now inhabited by interim manager Guus Hiddink, a less volatile place, to such an extent that the build-up to Saturday's FA Cup semi-final is likely to be the most polite on record.
Where once the air between west and north London was thick with waspish insults, now it hangs heavy with compliments.
"The first thing I thought when Guus Hiddink came to Chelsea was: 'Oh, no,'" said Robin van Persie, the Arsenal striker, of his fellow Dutchman. "Chelsea are still in the FA Cup and Champions League and he will win something.
"He is unbelievable. When I saw him two years ago in Holland, because we use the same physio sometimes, I asked to see his hands. He said: 'Yes, why?' I said that everything he put his hand on turns to gold. He was laughing. He is fantastic."
It would have been unthinkable for van Persie to have lauded Mourinho in the same way, and his unabashed admiration for Hiddink speaks volumes both for the esteem with which he is held in footballing circles.
The Gunners have no need to wage psychological war ahead of the weekend meeting at England's national stadium.
They are basking in the glory of an 18-game unbeaten run in the Premier League and progress to a Champions League semi-final showdown with Manchester United, courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Villarreal that bordered on the routine.
Chelsea, for all their fine form under Hiddink, hold no fears for Wenger's young squad.
"It is all about winning now," Cesc Fabregas, the Arsenal captain, said.
"We may not have the experience of Chelsea but we have the confidence and the excitement to play big games in the FA Cup and the Champions League. We are not scared of anybody."
Arsenal's confidence has been pepped by the suspicion that Chelsea are no longer the immovable object they once were.
There has been more creative freedom to their attacking play under Hiddink in recent weeks, but that commitment to enterprise has come at a cost, with seven goals leaked in their last two matches.
Petr Cech, the previously unflappable Czech goalkeeper, has looked nervous, unsettled by high balls and no longer commanding his penalty area with any semblance of authority.
Ricardo Carvalho is still feeling his way back to full fitness and, while John Terry returns from the suspension that ruled him out of the dramatic 4-4 Champions League draw with Liverpool, the Blues skipper cannot hold together his back-line single-handedly.
Chelsea's biggest hope is Hiddink himself. The stand-in manager has become a talismanic presence for the club since his appointment in February, breathing new life into Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack, and somehow convincing a side which had been sliding into mediocrity under Luiz Felipe Scolari that they are capable of mounting a challenge for honours.
It has been achieved through a combination of exhausting graft and attention to detail, and Hiddink, who will resume his full-time role as Russia coach in May, is not done yet.
"There is always pressure where we emphasise on winning, winning, winning," he said.
"Not just winning but also playing in a way which is meant to be attractive - those two roads are important. We are keeping up with our own demands and expectations." AFP
Ibrahimovic Praises Cesar & Buffon Ahead Of Juve-Inter Clash
Juventus and Inter meet in another highly anticipated Derby d’Italia this weekend, in a match that will end any chance the Bianconeri have of claiming this season’s Scudetto if they fail to emerge victorious.
In the lead up to the contest, many have had their say on what will take place in Turin, and the latest to do so is the Nerazzurri striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who believes that the two shot-stoppers will have a massive role to play in the clash.
“Going into the match, we know that both teams have two great goalkeepers,” Ibrahimovic asserted in an interview with the Inter Channel.
“When I arrived at Juventus, [Gianluigi] Buffon was already playing at a high level, and he was the number one in the world. Scoring in training was extremely difficult.
“Then when I came to Inter I met Julio Cesar, and I can say that over these past three years he has grown a lot to become as good as Buffon. He too has now reached a great level, and he is also very difficult to score against.
“It's like having an eleventh player on the field. Their presence will both be vital this weekend in the Derby d’Italia.”
On a more personal level, Ibra is eagerly awaiting the decisive fixture and his battle with Giorgio Chiellini, a man who has got the better of him in their past few meetings.
“We are two great teams with great players in all positions over the park.
“For me, it doesn’t matter who scores, what really counts is that in the end we win the competition. I prefer to win trophies with my team-mates, rather than score more goals for myself.
“As for Chiellini, it should be a great challenge for me again. He is a great player who I really like because he is strong and physical. I will have to be two steps ahead of him at all times and see how I go.”
Juve and Inter square off at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin Saturday evening, with the play set to get underway at 20:30 CET. Goal
