Koscielny: Let’s win for Wenger
LAURENT KOSCIELNY has urged his Arsenal team-mates to ensure they continue their winning run and record their 10th successive victory so manager Arsene Wenger can end his winless streak against Jose Mourinho.
Wenger has played Mourinho’s teams 12 times and never won, losing seven and drawing five. Koscielny says defending Wenger’s reputation will provide even more incentive to maintain their winning run and prove they can challenge Chelsea next season.
Koscielny said: ‘It’s true that Jose Mourinho likes the psychological game but that works just for a time, because it is on the pitch where things happen.
‘It’s been complicated for the boss and I hope, just for once, he will win against Mourinho. It’s up to us to produce our game, which is to be strong with our high pressing on the pitch.’
Koscielny concedes that, with Chelsea 10 points clear, the title race is over in all but name — but insists it will be important to put down a marker for next season.
‘We don’t talk about the title,’ he said. ‘It’s finished. But we are professionals and want to finish in a high position, and we have the final of the FA Cup so we can finish well.
‘And it’s always important to win against the best team in the Premier League. It’s psychological; you can win these games. So maybe it’s not for this season but next season we want to start quickly and it will be very important to be ready.’