Two weeks ago, it seemed that if Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho were to bury the hatchet, it would be in each others’ backs, but on Friday their verbal sparring ended in a draw as the Arsenal manager revealed he will not take legal action against his Chelsea counterpart for his remarks this month.

Mourinho suggested that Wenger was obsessed with Chelsea to the extent that he was “a voyeur” with “a sickness”. The Arsenal manager rubbished the accusation and defended his right to free speech, but the Portuguese said that he had a 120-page dossier full of quotations from Wenger about Chelsea. Mourinho offered to apologise but only if Wenger said sorry for his own comments about the Barclays Premiership champions.

While at the time Wenger appeared highly offended, considering the words a personal attack potentially worthy of a lawsuit, on Friday he felt more relaxed and was in a forgiving, if not quite conciliatory, mood.

“I could not afford a lawyer! It’s discouraging ? they say hello and it’s ?100,000,” he said. “I took legal advice. But I had to choose between my holidays or the legal case. Lawyers are very expensive here. I wanted to analyse what was behind (the remarks). I never gave it too much importance and I always focused on the game in front of me, but I just wanted to see how it was perceived on the legal side.”

Wenger decided that Mourinho’s observations were not “malicious or vicious enough. For me the intention behind the statement is important and I came to the conclusion ? and I hope I am right ? that there was nothing planned or malicious behind it. That’s why I want to focus on the future, the good of the team and not look back and waste my energy with a negative attitude with things that will not disturb my sleep.”

A rivalry between the clubs and an apparent antipathy between their managers has long simmered. Wenger criticised Chelsea in the wake of the Ashley Cole “tapping-up” affair, while Mourinho claimed in the summer that the fixture list gave Arsenal an unfair advantage.

“I can’t let people say anything about me without a reaction,” Wenger said. “I didn’t speak to him. I don’t know (what I would do) if it did happen again but I would consider every situation separately. You can either take action or forgive.”

Mourinho was quick to applaud Wenger’s willingness to let the matter slide. “I think it’s a sensible and intelligent decision. He knows my feelings about the situation. I want to finish with it and hope he does the same in relation to us. It’s the best way,” he said. It will be interesting to see if the truce holds for long ? the sides meet at Highbury on December 18.

Mourinho justified his swaggering attitude in the Spanish press on Friday. “I’m arrogant because it is necessary to be that way in the world of football,” he said.

He added that Chelsea’s playing methods, prioritising efficiency above thrills, was not his favourite style but was the best way of bringing success in England.