Jose Mourinho vs Antonio Conte: As Man United and Chelsea get ready to battle we look back at how the hatred between both managers has intensified

IT'S United v Chelsea on Sunday and that means it’s Mourinho v Conte.

It says something about the form of both Manchester United and Chelsea this season that the most interesting thing about the fixture is the ongoing spat between the two men in the dugout.

It's been a season where United’s brand of anti-football is gaining rave reviews from precisely nobody.

While Chelsea’s title defence has collapsed meekly against the likes of Bournemouth and Watford.

But it’s the war of words between the Portuguese and the Italian that everyone will have their eye on at Old Trafford on Sunday.

In the meantime, here’s our handy five-point guide to English football’s most riveting rivalry.

1. The war of words begins

It’s October 2016 and new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte celebrates a thumping 4-0 win for Chelsea over United.

He runs up and down the Stamford Bridge touchline in manic fashion, diving into the crowd and generally acting like a berk.

Mourinho isn’t impressed.

As the pair shake hands at the final whistle, he pulls Conte into him.

"You don't celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise it's humiliating for us."

Yeah, because you’d never catch Mourinho knee-sliding down the touchline, would you?

2. Jose gets personal

In the summer of 2017, Antonio Conte began to prepare his team for the defence of their Premier League title.

It was clear he was determined to make a better fist of it then Jose had done in his second spell at Stamford Bridge.

“Two years ago Chelsea finished 10th,” he explained.

“That cannot happen again. We know the difficulty and, for sure, we want to avoid the Mourinho season with Chelsea.”

Meanwhile, Mourinho was sharpening his claws and, predictably, took a pot shot at the Italian’s surprisingly luscious head of hair.

MOUR TO COME Jose Mourinho warns Antonio Conte to stop playing the ‘victim’ as feud continues

“I could answer in many different ways,” he said, “but I’m not going to lose my hair to speak about Antonio Conte.”

3. Cry, cry and cry again

In October 2017, United defeated Benfica in the Champions League and Mourinho used the press conference to have another pop at Conte.

He might not have referred to him by name, but his intentions were clear.

“I don't cry; I think the way to do it is ignore the players who are injured and focus on the players that are available.

"If I want to moan and cry like the others, I can cry for the next five minutes. But I don't.”

Yeah, not much. Over to you Antonio…

“I think he has to think about his team and start looking at himself, not others.

"I think that, a lot of times, Mourinho (likes to concentrate on) what is happening at Chelsea.

"A lot of times, also last season. (He has) to think about his team.”

4. Send in the clown

Later that month, Mourinho bristled when his apparent lack of enthusiasm was questioned by the media.

"Because I don't behave as a clown on the touchline, it means that I lost my passion?" he responded.

"I prefer to behave the way I am doing it, much more mature, better for my team and myself.

"I don't think you have to behave like a crazy guy on the touchline to have that passion."

Needless to say, Mourinho’s comments were seen as another dig at Conte, who took the bait.

“I think he has to see himself in the past – maybe he was speaking about himself in the past.

"Maybe, sometimes, I think that someone forgets what's said in the past, which is his behaviour," suggested the Blues coach.

"Sometimes I think there is, I don't know the name, but 'demenza senile...' when you forget what you do in the past.”

Later, Conte maintained he had meant to say amnesia, not dementia.

5. Mourinho ups the ante

After United’s FA Cup win over Derby County, Mourinho took the pair’s feud one step further.

He referred to Conte’s suspension for match-fixing in 2012, charges for which he was later acquitted.

"What never happened to me – and will never happen – is to be suspended for match-fixing," he shrugged.

"That never happened to me and will never happen."

The following day, Conte responded.

"I think when there are these types of comments, comments where you try to offend the person and don’t know the truth, then you are a little man," he said.

“In the past he was a little man in many circumstance, he’s a little man in the present and, for sure, he will be a little man in the future.

“The level is very low. This is not my problem. I consider him a man with a very low profile.”

For the record, Jose is, indeed, 4cm shorter than Conte.

And for good measure, Jose's not just a "little man", he's also a "fake", according to Conte.