: The Arsenal and Chelsea managers have no time for each other, but they need to make sure their bitter feud does
Arsenal drew first blood ahead of the new season with their Community Shield triumph over Chelsea on Sunday, but the brutal war of words between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho shows no sign of abating.

It is petty and it is childish, yet the obvious hatred between the two managers makes their feud oddly compelling.

The Premier League has built much of its popularity around the stories behind the action on the pitch and Wenger has often been involved. His personal spats with Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal's great rivalry with Manchester United - and now his contemptuous relationship with Mourinho.

Eleven years after they first locked horns, the two managers can barely look each other in the eye. No-one should really be surprised by the handshake snub between the pair at Wembley as Wenger finally beat his old nemesis at the 14th attempt.



It's only a handshake, who really cares? There is no reason at this stage for Wenger and Mourinho to make any pretence towards cordiality. They can't stand the sight of each other.

But it does feel a little pathetic.

If they were two schoolboys, their parents would have been called in by the headmaster by now and they would have been forced to drop their childish squabbles: "Now little Jose, tell Arsene you're sorry."

The fear now is that they might cross the line, especially with Arsenal looking genuinely ready to challenge Chelsea for the Premier League title this season.

Between them, they have been on the planet for 117 years, they are educated to degree level and speak several languages, having been in management for more than 35 years. Their combined annual salary is around £20 million-a-year.

Yet they can't even shake hands. You've got to be kidding me.