Wenger – Chelsea are still direct rivals

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that he still considers Chelsea to be direct rivals.

The Blues have had a terrible league campaign thus far, winning just six of their 22 games.

Chelsea are currently 14th in the Premier League and are only four points off the relegation zone, meaning their future in England’s top future is anything but decided.

However, with new boss Guus Hiddink instated into the managerial seat until the end of the current campaign, the fortunes of the west London club are on the up and they now boast the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Speaking in his pre-match news conference, as reported by Arsenal’s official website, Wenger admitted that he still considers Chelsea as ‘too strong’ to be relegated to the second tier of English football.

If you are looking purely at the mathematics [they could] but the team has too much potential.

Nobody can predict this. The confidence can go quickly and for them the bad luck is that the league is more difficult for everybody. Once you lack a bit of confidence it can happen to anyone.

The lack of confidence is linked with one or two unexpected bad results. The confidence in our job goes quickly, maybe quicker than ever because the pressure from the environment and the media is bigger than ever so you suffer a bit quicker than before.

They are not in this title race but [look at] the quality of their team. I think this season there have been exceptional circumstances for them and they will be back – I consider them direct rivals.

It will be an intense game, as usual what you get in the Premier League.

Overall I think, because of the quality of the players on the pitch and because of what is at stake for both teams, it will be a very intense battle, no matter who sits on the bench.

I rate [Hiddink] highly as a very strong manager with an exceptional career. He alternated between club and country but he’s one of the leading managers who represented the Dutch philosophy and exported it across Europe.

Arsenal face Chelsea on Sunday afternoon at the Emirates Stadium, with the home side boasting the opportunity of extending their lead at the top of the table.