Henrikh Mkhitaryan reveals key difference between Wenger and Mourinho

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has revealed the real difference between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho and the one that makes the Arsenal manager better suited to a few players compared to the Portuguese national. Mkhitaryan spent a year and a half at Manchester United but found himself out of favour this season amid differences with Mourinho.

The 29-year-old was finally unveiled as an Arsenal player on 22 January on a three-and-a-half-year contract as part of a high-profile swap deal that also saw star forward Alexis Sanchez depart for United. The deal led to a flurry of activity in the end of the window, which saw Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang making his way to Arsenal and Olivier Giroud depart for Chelsea.

Mkhitaryan set the ground running in only his second appearance for the club against Everton, pairing with former Dortmund teammate Aubameyang, teeing up the striker for his first goal in an Arsenal shirt following his transfer on deadline day.

Arsenal rode on the back of their new signings to thrash the Toffees 5-1 following a disappointing mid-week away loss to Swansea. The win takes them to within five points off a top-four spot, with a game against Tottenham scheduled for later today.

Mkhitaryan's fall to grace at United was attributed by some to Mourinho while Armenia national team manager, Artur Petrosyan, blankly blamed the Portuguese for not being able to get the best out of the forward which led to his drop of form.

However, Mkhitaryan himself refused to accuse anyone and stated that the two managers are very different following his brilliant performance against Everton, where he contributed with three assists. He also talked about his time at United, which he believes was a success.

"Mourinho required a lot from the players," Mkhitaryan told SFR Sport on Friday (9 February). "A lot, he was very hard. Arsene Wenger is friendlier, he understands, can think about players' situations, is calmer. That's the difference.

"I think I left an impression in Manchester, although I had difficulties," he added. "We won three trophies in a year and a half, it's not every club that does that. We won the Europa League final, I scored a goal. If people say that I have not had enough success it is their opinion, but I can say that I had a lot of success at the club."