It was one of those typical Arsène Wenger throwaway lines, delivered with a faint smile playing across his lips but instantly revealing

his true feelings.

Arsenal had just beaten Reading in last Saturday's FA Cup semi-final and he had been asked for his opinion on Chelsea's 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Premier League. The Chelsea game had taken place at virtually the same time and Wenger said he had ignored the scoreline. So he was told of it.

“One-nil. Usual,” Wenger acknowledged, before getting up from his seat in the Wembley auditorium and exiting through the side door.

If it felt inconceivable that Wenger did not know the outcome of such a crucial league fixture, then it was equally difficult to ignore the apparent subtext to his comment. One-nil is a dull result. It was the calling card, after all, of the pre-Wenger boring, boring Arsenal. And, as Chelsea’s pursuit of the title has come to feel like something of a grind, they have eked out four 1-0 wins in their last eight matches in the competition.

Wenger can rarely conceal his disapproval for this sort of fare – particularly not when it is Chelsea or, more pertinently, José Mourinho. The Frenchman spent most of his press conference for Sunday’s meeting with Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium attempting to say nothing about Chelsea, Mourinho and the style of Mourinho’s Chelsea.

Shutters down

He and the club wanted to pull the shutters down. Wenger has long since stopped entertaining the daily newspapers before a big game but this was something else. It was made clear that the briefing would last only five minutes although, in the event, it was nudged up to six. The theory was clear: keep it short and Wenger will not be drawn into saying what he really thinks of Chelsea and Mourinho.

But the clues were there. When Wenger was asked whether he thought Chelsea would be worthy champions, he praised their consistency and defensive strength.

“They are the team that have lost less than any other team, so the Premier League rewards consistency,” he said. In other answers, Wenger talked of how Chelsea had been “very, very efficient on counterattacks and very efficient on set pieces as well”. He added: “We have been good on counterattacks but Chelsea has been the most efficient on counterattacks. Maybe, they play a bit more for that.”

To listen to Wenger, Chelsea are a reactive team who do not make the game and it is difficult to imagine this is an approach that appeals to him. Wenger did not mention that Chelsea had scored more goals than Arsenal in the league this season. Or last season, Mourinho’s first back at Stamford Bridge. Or in two of his three full seasons from his first spell at the club.

So it went on: the faint praise, the side-steps and nuanced replies. Wenger flat-batted questions about his personal relationship with Mourinho but could not conceal his mirth when it was put to him that his rival – whom he has not beaten in 12 attempts – had the reputation of a tactical genius. “Your job is to assess all the geniuses you can meet,” Wenger said. “I leave you that job.”

Pragmatic nature

On Mourinho’s pragmatic nature, Wenger added: “Our job is to win football games and that’s what they [Chelsea] have done in recent games. Is there anything to see in that? I leave you that to assess. What’s important for me is to do what it takes on Sunday to win. It’s easy to defend. If we have to defend, then we will defend.”

For Wenger, it is the eternal question: can winning alone ever be enough or must the success come with a certain style? Arsenal’s victory over Reading extended their winning streak to nine matches – their best run since the Invincibles won 10 straight in 2004 – and there is a notion that Wenger’s approach has been slightly more pragmatic since the turn of the year.

It has been based largely on the fact that he has played with a proper defensive midfielder in Francis Coquelin; full-backs, in Héctor Bellerín and Nacho Monreal, who leave less space in behind them; and even a goalkeeper, in David Ospina, who is more unfussy. Wenger has talked of the team having found a better balance but he took issue with the idea that there has been a change in mindset.

“We are a bit more efficient defensively but not necessarily more cautious,” Wenger said.

“Maybe we attack even more. When the belief is stronger, there is less reluctance to go forward when we have the ball. When we go, we go. When the belief is not there, sometimes it is difficult to let that inhibition go. When you are on a winning run, it is easier.”

Sunday’s game continues to feel like a clash of ideologies and for Arsenal, the challenge is to find finally the solution against Mourinho, which might also serve to put down a marker for next season. “We have passed many tests recently where we were questioned, such as winning at Manchester City,” Wenger said. “Sunday is another one that we want to pass.” Guardian Services