Wenger insists Chelsea will drop points
Arsene Wenger says he is "convinced" Chelsea will drop points and that title race is far from over
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Monday, 30, Nov 2009 02:40
By Matthew Champion.
Arsene Wenger has insisted the title race is not over as he is "convinced" a Chelsea side that defeated Arsenal 3-0 will drop points.
In a somewhat bitter post-match press conference the Gunners boss dismissed Chelsea's physicality and said two-goal hero Didier Drogba "doesn't do a lot".
Chelsea set up an 11-point lead over Arsenal with Drogba scoring either side of half-time and a Thomas Vermaelen own goal at the Emirates.
Wenger said the 3-0 scoreline was a "very unfair reflection of the game".
"I believe that Chelsea had absolutely everything for them today and we can only deal with that now and respond in our next game," he said.
The Frenchman added he was sceptical of the perception of Chelsea as a powerful team that others struggle to compete with.
"When a team is 2-0 up and just defending their half and play is on the break, it's too easy to have that impression," he claimed.
"I don't share that point of view. I think they lost many balls today, where we couldn't take advantage and made many technical mistakes where we couldn't take advantage, and that has nothing to do with the physical impact of the game."
Although Wenger accepted the 3-0 reverse was a "big blow" to Arsenal's title chances he said the race was far from over.
"I believe at the moment they are in a very strong position, but this team, for me, they can drop points," he said. "I'm convinced of that. That's an impression I have."
But Wenger reserved the full extent of his scepticism for Drogba, who has never finished on the losing in 11 games for Chelsea against Arsenal, scoring ten goals in the process.
"It's funny because he doesn't do a lot, but he's efficient in what he does," the Arsenal manager said.
"You would be surprised by the number of balls he touched today. Jimmy Greaves was a great player, you still remember him. And Drogba is a great player, nobody can deny that. He's very efficient. I think as well, at the moment he's in a period where he kicks the ball and it goes in because you cannot tell me he wanted to kick the ball where he kicked the ball on the cross.
"He's a good free-kick taker, but on the first goal, at the moment he has complete confidence and he doesn't wonder 'will I score or not?'. He just goes for it and he did very well. It's a great goal, the first one, but it's a goal of a striker in complete confidence."