Wenger eyes golden chance to put one over Mourinho

London: Arsene Wenger has probably never had a better chance of finally beating a Jose Mourinho side than when Arsenal visit Old Trafford on Saturday to face a Manchester United team in underwhelming form and ravaged by injuries and suspensions. The Frenchman has never trumped Mourinho in 13 competitive games since they first clashed in 2004 and he has often been the loser off the pitch as well, with Mourinho taunting him about Arsenal’s lack of title success over the past decade.

But Arsenal have a good opportunity to register their first Premier League win at Old Trafford since 2006 when they face a United team that could be without six players, including their first-choice defence. Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suspended and centre halves Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling are injured along with right back Antonio Valencia who is recovering from surgery on a broken arm.

There are also doubts about midfielder Marouane Fellaini and full back Luke Shaw as Mourinho grapples with the most serious injury crisis of his time at United. The Old Trafford faithful will be looking for signs that Mourinho is making progress despite a disappointing start to his reign which has left them sixth in the table, six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and eight adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Wenger’s main injury doubt cleared up on Tuesday when forward Alexis Sanchez, whom he had urged to miss Chile’s World Cup qualifier with Uruguay after tweaking a hamstring, showed no ill-effects after scoring twice in a 3-1 comeback win. For once, Arsenal, who had 11 other players on full international duty last week, will be confident of winning on a ground where Wenger has often emerged an angry second best, most notably in 2011 when they were humiliated 8-2.

Chelsea and Manchester City are also flourishing under new management with Antonio Conte’s second-placed side at Middlesbrough on Sunday, 24 hours after Pep Guardiola’s City, who are third, bid to make up ground at Crystal Palace.