Arsenal vs Chelsea: Laurent Koscielny is desperate to end Arsene Wenger’s hoodoo against Jose Mourinho
Koscielny believes the Gunner need to beat Chelsea for next season's title challenge hopes
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Your support makes all the difference.Laurent Koscielny believes Arsenal beating Chelsea at the Emirates is essential to next season’s title race, and is determined for Arsene Wenger to finally claim victory against Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese is unbeaten in his 12 encounters with the Arsenal boss, a stat that has perpetuated the feeling this is a bigger game for the home side. While Chelsea will likely win the Premier League regardless, Wenger’s team are on a fine winning run, and will probably never have a better opportunity to end the drought against Mourinho.
Arsenal defender Koscielny said: “It’s always important to win against the best team in the Premier League and maybe we cannot win the title this season but, for next season, it’s always important as a reminder that we could win against Chelsea, [Manchester] City and Liverpool. It’s psychological, [that] you can win these games, so maybe it’s not for this season but next season we start quickly, and it will be very important to be ready.”
Koscielny also feels Arsenal are ready to beat Chelsea.
“It’s true that Jose Mourinho likes the psychological game but it works just for a time, because it is on the pitch where things happen. It has been complicated for the boss. I hope just for once he will win against Mourinho.
“I think if we finish second in the Premier League and win the FA Cup it will be a good season because at the start of the season we were seventh, sixth and always there was talk that Arsenal are finished this year.”
Wenger confirmed one of the reasons Arsenal did not sign Cesc Fabregas in the summer was because they had Mesut Ozil and similar attacking midfielders.
“Exactly,” Wenger said. “We had a congestion. When you have to pay £35-40m in a position where you have players already, you have to question where is the logic.”
As regards one of Chelsea’s main attackers, Eden Hazard is expected to win the PFA Player of the Year award tonight, but Mourinho believes he deserves even more credit for his attitude and bravery in the face of challenges that could be “hospital situations” .
“He’s a fantastic boy, a golden boy. He doesn’t cheat. He doesn’t dive. Nothing. So I think, even for opponents, he’s a fantastic kid. We had a couple of situations which could be hospital situations but he’s getting strong.”
Arsenal v Chelsea is live on Sky Sports 1 today, kick-off 4pm
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