LONDON, September 25
For five years, Chelsea were the nemesis of Arsenal and their coach Arsene Wenger; so Saturday’s resounding 3-0 victory in the London derby represented a psychological boost for the Frenchman.
The last time Arsenal beat Chelsea in the league was in October 2011 and for three years they had not even scored a goal against their cross-town rivals, not counting a 1-0 win in the pre-season Community Shield match in 2015.
“I said before the game that we have some inconvenient facts. They were that we couldn’t beat Chelsea for years,” a beaming Wenger, who this week marked 20 years in charge of Arsenal, said. “I think what was very important for me is that a psychological hurdle does not stand in your way. We have not to make too much of it, but as well not ignore it.”
When a reporter’s telephone began to ring, he joked: “It’s Jose,” laughing off his bitter rivalry with Chelsea’s former manager Jose Mourinho. — Reuters