Marouane Fellaini believes that Arsenal’s visist to Old Trafford this weekend has some added spice because of the rivalry between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.

The United midfielder declared that their team is even more motivated to face the Gunners due to the personal and professional enmity between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger. With many things at stake, online soccer odds have already adjusted accordingly to reflect the new course of action in the upcoming match.

As stated by Fellaini, even though previous clashes between the two Premier League giants have attracted a wide range of attention due to the players and coaches involved, this season is more special.

The Belgian insists that the arrival of Jose Mourinho to Old Trafford endows the game with more flavour. The Portuguese and Wenger have been rivals for the longest time in the Premier League and many fans are eager to watch their Saturday lunchtime contest for the first time this season.

Referee Michael Oliver shows a yellow card to Manchester United's Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini (C) during the FA Cup quarter-final football match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on March 9, 2015.
Referee Michael Oliver shows a yellow card to Manchester United’s Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini (C) during the FA Cup quarter-final football match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on March 9, 2015. (Photo OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)

The depth of the rivalry between the duo trickles down to a history of hostility, which has even ended up in a sequence of verbal blows in the past. In October 2014, the pair even got physical at Stamford Bridge when they clashed on the touchline after hurling angry insults at each other after Gary Cahill almost killed Alexis. They had to be separated when Wenger walked up to the former Chelsea manager and pushed him.

Wenger has not succeeded to beat Mourinho in 13 competitive Premier League meetings, which makes the upcoming clash on Saturday more interesting with added tension between the opposing sides. Fellaini maintains that the intensity of the conflict between the Red Devils and the Gunners remains as ferocious as always, saying that Saturday’s fixture is more of Mourinho versus Wenger, which will make the game more exciting. The Belgian added that the game will attract many fans as usual and the atmosphere will be tense.

Before the international break, Manchester United returned to their winning ways after beating Swansea 3-1 away from home. Every match between United and Arsenal draws a big following, and the involvement of these two managers will add more excitement to it. Therefore, the managers’ rivalry is just an added advantage for United’s players. With only one win in the last five league games, Mourinho’s men are six points adrift Arsenal and a win will give them hope of getting back into the Champions League.

Fellaini has supported his manager to get it right after going through a challenging period in the last one month since his appointment at Old Trafford. He expressed his sentiments to FullTime Devils saying Mourinho works so hard for the team and he deserves a win against Arsenal.

He also added that the Portuguese adores and respects the club, something he demonstrates on the training ground and is seen in his frustration when the game is not going as planned.

Will it go as planned on Saturday for Mourinho? We can only hope that it absolutely does not.