I don't need to be in love with my players, I just need to have a correct relationship with them."Mourinho felt that something positive would come out of his attack on his player. "It was good that Essien saw that meeting because now, if he doesn't need an IQ test, he understands me from the first moment."Carvalho issued an apology yesterday to his team-mates.Looking ahead to the game, Mourinho acknowledged his Arsenal counterpart Ars? Wenger's achievement in taking charge of his 500th Gunners game but added that whoever wins will not establish a notable advantage in the title race.Mourinho said: "Everybody knows what a great job Wenger has done at Arsenal and I will congratulate him Especially for a foreigner in England. He has not had success in Europe, but he can be very proud of what he has done in England."However, Mourinho, who led his team to a 2-1 victory against their north London rivals in the Community Shield a fortnight ago, is more concerned that his players show more conviction than they did against Wigan last weekend, when they won thanks to Hernan Crespo's late strike. He said: "I could smell in the build-up that they were not 100 per cent. But I was not shocked because this is football and these are the sorts of games I don't like. But I would be surprised if we were not at 100 per cent against Arsenal."Wenger criticised Mourinho's tactics in the win in Cardiff, claiming they used long balls.

But the Portuguese responded that Arsenal can just as easily revert to an aerial assault.However, what is certain is Ricardo Carvalho will not be there to do battle in the air or on the ground.. Ars? Wenger is not a man given to reflection on past glories which is fortunate because he admits the challenge of wrestling the title from Chelsea's grip is his biggest in nine years at Highbury. Wenger has more reason than most to relish the triumphs of days gone by but, as he prepares for the 500th game of his Arsenal reign at Chelsea tomorrow, he knows he must focus on the present. Jose Mourinho's side present a formidable barrier to Wenger adding to his haul of seven trophies, including three Premiership titles, since he took charge in 1996.But despite the summer sale of midfield talisman Patrick Vieira to Juventus, Wenger is confident his side can get the better of Mourinho's champions.Wenger said: "We have the quality to do well at Chelsea and win the game, but the most important thing is to get the players to believe they can do it. He has completely revolutionised the way Arsenal and the majority of English clubs approach the game as well as leading his side to unprecedented success on the field.However, he refuses to dwell on those achievements to the extent that he does not have a single medal or trophy on display in his house. When you added Keane, Schmeichel, Yorke and Cole to that group you had an exceptional team.

It may happen with Chelsea but it's too soon to say.''With due respect to Herbert Chapman and George Graham, Wenger will go down in the club's history books as their most successful manager. United had Beckham, Giggs, Scholes and the Nevilles all coming through at the same time That will happen every 100 years. But he is not yet convinced Chelsea have what it takes to emulate Manchester United's success in the 1990s.He said: "The dominance of Chelsea is not comparable to Manchester United at the moment. At the end of the season these points will be worth double."If you look back at the seasons when we have won the title you see that we did not lose to our main rivals.''Wenger knows the combination of Roman Abramovich's financial muscle and Mourinho's managerial brilliance has given Chelsea a platform to establish a stranglehold on English football for the foreseeable future. I will do everything in my power to strengthen that belief."It is a massive game because we want to win the championship and when you want that you exist for these games. When you look at Chelsea you see a formidable opponent, but that is the kind of challenge I look for."Your strength and dominance in the league depends on how you do in these games. Chelsea play Arsenal, the side that finished runners-up to them in the Premiership last season, at Stamford Bridge tomorrow.