London - Whilst it wont ever capture the globes imagination like an el Cl??sico does or possess the historical significance of a Manchester or Merseyside derby, Sunday mornings Chelsea v Arsenal London derby is without doubt today the biggest football battle the capital city possesses. Thomas Chabot Senators Jersey . In doing so, the North London derby has been relegated into a distant second place. Over the last decade and more as Chelsea and Arsenal have gained permanent membership of the Barclays Premier Leagues virtuous circle for the elite, Spurs reside amongst its periphery. Earlier in the week, one London newspaper provided a compelling case of why Tottenham should place the greater emphasis on the Europa League ahead of the BPL this season. Its reasoning, even after only six matches, Spurs stood little chance of making it to the Champions League via a top four finish whilst this seasons Europa League winners will be granted an automatic spot. Comfort though can be taken for Spurs supporters from Chelseas 6-0 dismantling of Arsenal in the corresponding fixture last season in a match that signified Arsene Wengers 1,000th in charge for the North Londoners - which he described at the time as not a bad day but a nightmare. Speaking of nightmares, a player who just cant help himself against Arsenal is Didier Drogba. Wenger, who celebrated 18 years at the helm of the Gunners just this past Tuesday, got a gift of sorts from his London neighbour early Friday with Chelsea announcing Drogba wont feature Sunday due to an ankle injury. Not that Wengers team will need any further motivation to make amends for last seasons aberration but adding a further layer of spice to Sundays encounter will be the sight of Cesc F??bregas trotting out of the tunnel in the blue shirt of Chelsea. This is sure to raise a few eyebrows and one or two Anglo-Saxon opinions from the 3,000 strong travelling support. In his pre-match press conference Friday morning, Wenger reignited his war of words with Mourinho by disclosing F??bregas preferred option was to return to the club he joined in late summer 2003 which was in stark contrast to what Mourinho said this summer after the Fabregas signing was announced. With close to $75 million invested in ?–zil, there was no way back for a player who in October 2003 became at 16 years and 177 days the youngest ever to put on the fabled Arsenal shirt in the clubs close to 130-year history. At Mourinhos pre-match press conference, which took place shortly after Wengers, he refused to be drawn on the Fabregas matter nor offer an apology to Wenger for anointing him a Specialist in Failure back on Valentines Day. No love lost between these two managers then. Mourinho did offer Wenger his congratulations on bringing up 18 years of service in North London. Tipping his hat to the remarkable Invincible Arsenal side of 2003/04 which went the whole season undefeated, Mourinho offered an unequivocal, No - when asked if he thought he could emulate such a unique achievement. In terms of whether there was an added intensity surrounding Sundays derby, Mourinho extended another one word response, Yes. The match has been a sell-out since just after the BPL schedule was released back in mid-June. Ticket brokers are a reliable source of what people are willing to pay these days to attend sporting events of this magnitude. The law of the resell market often states the bigger the occasion, the bigger the pay off. Now consider this. An all-inclusive to October 25ths el Cl??sico at the Santiago Bernebeau, including a return flight from London to Madrid plus a match ticket, would set you back less money than brokers are quoting for just a match ticket Sunday. If Frankies Sports Diner located inside Stamford Bridge for Tuesdays Champions League match away to Sporting Lisbon is any indication of how cosmopolitan the crowd will be on Sunday, then you get a clear idea of what helps to influence the market price for tickets. Then of course as Stamford Bridge only holds just north of 40,000, the law of supply and demand has a significant effect as well. Hospitality Packages, something you couldnt give away when I was a very frequent visitor to Stamford Bridge back in the 1980s, are also sold out. These were offered for sale by Chelsea for upwards up ?￡895 [$1,700]. The only option left earlier today was taking a Matchday Dining Package at the sumptuous 4-star hotel that is located inside Stamford Bridge. One of these would set you back ?￡495, throw in a room for the night and you wouldnt be getting much change out of $2,000. With patrons willing to absorb such sums to savour Sundays match, its hardly surprising Chelsea have for the past five years been weighing up all their options regarding the future of Stamford Bridge. Early this week, it was widely reported Chelsea will remain at Stamford Bridge and move into the home of English Rugby, Twickenham for a season whilst Stamford Bridge is upgraded. The magnificent 82,000 capacity stadium located some seven miles along the Thames will host next years Rugby Union World Cup Final. Much more than London bragging rights, and three valuable points in the title chase are at stake Sunday. Having faced a Mourinho-led Chelsea team 11 times previously, Wenger is still to savour the taste of victory. Diego Costa, who has been an absolute revelation since his summer move from the Spanish capital, needs two goals to make it into Chelsea folklore and emulate club legend, Jack Cock, who took just seven games to hit the 10 league goal mark back in 1919/20. I have a sneaking suspicion as well, Mourinho who prides heritage and tradition above much else, and no matter what the outcome on the pitch, will invite his opposite number into his office post-match to share a bottle of red wine, much like he did so often with the BPLs vintage man himself, Sir Alex Ferguson. Key is will they be drinking a 12-year old bottle of wine to reflect a 12th straight winless game for Wenger or will it be 18-years old to signify the 64-year old Frenchmans loyal Arsenal service? Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Jean-Gabriel Pageau Jersey . Zimmermann became the National Leagues first 16-game winner, pitching seven solid innings to lead the Washington Nationals past the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Wednesday night. Mark Borowiecki Jersey . Toronto has lost six of its last eight games but is coming off Thursdays 7-3 victory at Kansas City. Juan Francisco and Colby Rasmus both went deep for the Blue Jays, who are second in the American League with 34 home runs on the season. http://www.senatorssale.com/authentic-mark-borowiecki-senators-jersey/ .twitter.com/TeZD3KOvlA — Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) September 24, 2014 Sorry for the delay, we just got back from lunch at Papa Vons #NBAFastFood pic.OTTAWA -- The expansion Ottawa Redblacks have changed the name of their new lumberjack mascot after receiving some critical feedback on the original choice. The CFL team announced last week that the mascot would go by the handle of "Big Joe Mufferaw." On Monday, the name was changed to "Big Joe" in English and "Grand Jos" in French. "We unintentionally offended some with the original name and we sincerely apologize for that," said Jeff Hunt, the president of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, which owns the Redblacks. "We hope to create a fan base that is unified in its support for the Redblacks and we will continue to strive to do our best in that regard." The team received a number of suggestions from fans before naming the maascot. Christian Jaros Jersey. Many wanted it named after late Ottawa storyteller Bernie Bedores character, which was inspired by Joseph Montferrand, a real-life Outaouais logger and defender of Francophone rights in the 1800s. However, critics felt that using the "Mufferaw" name was disrespectful. The team said it plans to continue to seek opportunities to welcome Francophone football fans from Gatineau, Que., and Eastern Ontario and engage the Francophone community with appearances by players and the mascot throughout the region. Big Joe Mufferaw was also immortalized in a famous song by Canadian country-folk legend Stompin Tom Connors. The Redblacks will kick off their inaugural season July 3 in Winnipeg. Their first home game is scheduled for July 18 versus Toronto. ' ' '