Wenger hungry for more after win
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was hungrier than ever for success after his side marked the 20th anniversary of his appointment by stylishly defeating Chelsea 3-0.
First-half goals from Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday swept Arsenaltoafirstleaguevictory over its London rival in 10 encounters.
It was Arsenal’s biggest win over Chelsea since a 3-0 victory in Wenger’s first meeting with his side’s London rival in April 1997 and the 66-year-old said he was now even more eager for success than when he arrived.
“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.
“I also feel a responsibility. 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.”
Wenger felt his side’s soccer had been “nearly perfect” in the first half and said its overall display was “one of our best performances of recent years”.
Chelsea has held something of a hoodoo over Arsenal in recent times.
Sanchez’s 11th-minute goal, afteramistakebyGaryCahill, was the first league goal Arsenal had scored against Chelsea since January 2013.
Chelsea dealt Wenger a humbling 6-0 defeat in his 1,000th game at the Arsenal helm in March 2014 and he said Saturday’s win could mark an important mental breakthrough.
“We had to deal with some inconvenient facts before the game. They were we couldn’t beat Chelsea for years,” said the Frenchman, whose side hosts Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“To get that out of the system was also at stake today. I think what was important for me was the psychological hurdle standing in our way. We mustn’t make too much of it, but we can’t ignore it.”