Arsene Wenger believes it’s now only a matter of time before Chelsea are crowned Premier League champions after Arsenal were held to a goalless draw at the Emirates at the weekend.
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The 0-0 stalemate on Sunday all but ended the Gunners’ faint title hopes and, despite a frenetic first half with the Blues predominantly on the back foot, the north Londoners were unable to break Mourinho’s men down.
The result put the breaks on Arsenal’s eight-match win streak and leaves them ten points off the pace, and Wenger thinks his side lacked the freedom of their usual game because of Chelsea’s strong defensive display, coupled with their threat on the counter.
“We know Chelsea will be champions,” he told Sky Sports.
“A win for us today was absolutely necessary, so it’s impossible for Chelsea to lose it now.
“Chelsea are a good side because they defend very well. In the recent games they haven’t conceded and today they defended very well.
“We lacked freedom and expression in our offensive game. We played with the handbrake on at times.
“I must say the team has progressed very well since the start of the season and we are still on a very good run.
“[But] we were conscious of their counter attack and maybe it was a bit too much in our heads not to be naïve and that may have taken something off us going forward.”
Wenger also had some choice words about former Gunner Cesc Fabregas and his efforts to win Chelsea a penalty in the first half after going down in the box under a challenge from Santi Cazorla.
“You don’t need to be a special sort of player to gain an advantage in a game, any player can do that,” Wenger said when asked if simulation would be something he associated with a player he managed for eight years.
“I don’t know [if Fabregas dived]. The referee made his decision and it’s difficult to know what’s going on in the head of the player.”
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