ARSENAL END CHELSEA JINX
LONDON – 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 Arsenal to a first league victory over their London rivals in 10 encounters.
“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 football had been “nearly perfect” in the first half and said their overall display was “one of our best performances of recent years”.
Chelsea have held something of a hoodoo over Arsenal in recent times.
Sanchez’s 11th-minute goal, after a mistake by Gary Cahill, was the first league goal Arsenal had scored against Chelsea since January 2013.
“We had to deal with some inconvenient facts before the game. We couldn’t beat Chelsea for years,” said the Frenchman, whose side host 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.”
Chelsea have gone three league games without victory and while beaten manager Antonio Conte refused to single out individuals for blame, he had strong words of criticism for his team.
“Now we are a great team only on paper, not on the pitch,” said the Italian.
“To be a great team, I prefer to be a great team not only on paper but also on the pitch. The pitch is the truth. The pitch speaks. ”–