Jose Mourinho is prioritizing winning the UEFA Europa League over finishing in the Premier League top four. That’s the preferred route back until Champions League for Mourinho, and most likely the easier path. Although it’s true that putting all the eggs in the Europa basket could end up backfiring later, you can’t really argue against this decision right now.
Even though the top four race is still open, with Liverpool only managing one point today, going all in for Europa still seems like the way to go, at least on paper.
Mourinho has stated his ambition here clearly.
“To finish top four we need to win four matches, to win the Europa League we need to win 2 matches. It’s easier to win two than four. The Europa League is our priority,” Mourinho said in his postgame interviews.
Those ambitions today and ultimate aims seem settled, but what about another motivation, more specific to this match? That of the Arsene Wenger vs Jose Mourinho personal rivalry?
Wenger’s seat is scorching hot, and he needs every win he can get in order to justify his staying on another season with the Gunners.
Wenger got his first win against Mourinho today, in this his 15th attempt.
Mourinho overtly stated his hopes that Wenger will remain with Arsenal beyond this season– thus inviting the conspiracy theorists today.
For the record, Mourinho said that his team was focused on the match today, but that hasn’t stopped social media users from believing that he took a dive today, for the ultimate goal of keeping Wenger around.
https://twitter.com/ClassicFergie/status/861255442084667392
The fact Mourinho wants Wenger to stay at Arsenal says it all.#afc
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 7, 2017
Mourinho: "Finally I leave this stadium with Arsenal fans happy, they deserve that. They are a really good club." #MUFC
— Devils Latest (@Devils_Latest) May 7, 2017
Kinda gives you the feeling that Mou lost on purpose
— Nkosana Mpala (@nkosanazwane86) May 7, 2017
José Mourinho doing this on purpose. He knows a win today and Arsène Wenger will stay.
— VOIROSSI (@voirossi) May 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/UnitedStandMUFC/status/861261128256638976
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes to WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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