As you’re no doubt aware, Arsenal managed to actually beat Chelsea for the first time in what feels like decades, romping to a comprehensive 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.
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Ten minutes into the second half, Conte brought on Marcos Alonso for Cesc Fabregas and the team switched to three central defenders – Branislav Ivanovic, David Luiz and Gary Cahill – with the substitute and Cesar Azpilicueta playing further forward on the flanks.
Arsenal outplayed Chelsea in the first half, with Sanchez, Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil rampant against their opponents’ shaky back line.
“I’m hungrier because I know I have not got 20 more years in front of me”, smiled Wenger, whose team rose to third place in the Premier League table.
“After today we are thinking we must work a lot because we are a great team only on paper”. Let’s hope we get some good news because that would be a real blow.
After the match, Conte said Chelsea “are a great team only on paper”, and Ivanovic called on the players to start living up to their reputations at Hull City next Saturday.
“This is very odd because Arsenal against Chelsea is a massive game and when we play this type of game against a very good team like Arsenal, you must stay concentrated from the first minute and this today did not happen”.
“I felt that in the last three weeks, our team was on the way up”.
In the last two games it has not been the usual Chelsea way, but if it starts working it will be very good for us.
“Today was one of those moments as a manager when you think: “‘Today is a great day.’ In the first half it was almost flawless.
“I think I have to solve the situation”, Conte said.
“It’s one of the games where what we wanted to do worked very well”, he told BBC Sport.
“We must have last season present in our mind (when Chelsea finished 10th) to not repeat the mistakes”.
Chelsea have only been able to claim one point from their last three Premier League games and are now placed eight in the league table – eight points beneath the top of the table Manchester City.
Gunners midfielder Francis Coquelin had to be withdrawn midway through the first half with a knee problem, and Wenger is naturally hopeful the player’s injury is not serious.
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Wenger admitted it was too soon to talk about markers for winning the title but believes his team’s display proves they have the quality to challenge.
