“It’s one of the best performances in recent years”.
Advertisement
They have now picked up just one point from their last three games in the top flight and conceded seven goals in the process. You can’t be 20 years somewhere and not care. “I’m more conscious about what Arsenal is all about and I feel the weight of keeping people happy, and making people happy”.
“It worked quite well”, an utterly delighted Wenger said with intentional understatement.
The past twelve months have seen some troubled times for the Blues but the club have still remained doubtful when providing youngsters with their first-team opportunity.
First, Alexis Sanchez pounced on a feeble attempt at a back pass by Chelsea defender Gary Cahill to beat the advancing Thibaut Courtois with a neat chip in the 11th minute.
Chelsea dealt Wenger a humbling 6-0 defeat in his 1,000th game at the Arsenal helm in March 2014 and he said that Saturday’s win could mark an important mental breakthrough. Because we weren’t satisfied with our game, with our performance.
“We got almost the flawless first half and that is not bad”.
“To get that out of the system was also at stake today”.
“I think he used to be 90 per cent forward and 10 per cent defending”, said Wenger. We mustn’t make too much of it, but we can’t ignore it.
“It was big blow for him was not to go to the Euros this summer”.
“At the moment Man City looks to be well in front, but if we can maintain our performances and the quality of our performances and be consistent we might have a chance”.
The defeat left Antonio Conte without a win in three Premier League matches and it is clear his side’s early-season momentum has fizzled out.
“We didn’t have the right attitude from the first minute”, said the Italian manager.
“In the second half it was a bit in and out but in the first half we have shown great quality”, he said.
Conte, on the other hand, has not needed any sort of wake-up call at all, having predicted two sleepless nights after Chelsea’s dire capitulation at the Emirates.
“He has matured and, when a player survives these disappointments after what you have promised at 16 and the way he dealt with the situations, I always thought there was something special in this guy”.
Advertisement
For Arsenal, the only blemish on their fourth consecutive league victory was that Francis Coquelin went off with a knee injury in the first half.
