I wonder what Arsene Wenger did after watching the first half of the Chelsea v Portsmouth match last Sunday? Maybe he made himself a delicious snack, or perhaps a little potter in the garden was in order. One thing’s for sure, the Frenchman didn’t bother to watch the second half after witnessing the Blues’ slick performance during the opening phase of the game.
The Times reports that the Arsenal manager was impressed by Chelsea last weekend, but feels that his charges are ready to go toe-to-toe with them once again. Despite having a depleted midfield for the first few matches of the season, while the Blues negotiate a deal with Robinho, Wenger is typically confident about his own team’s ability? But is he lying to himself?
“I watched the first half, and then stopped watching because I felt the game was over,” Wenger said. “Chelsea were very good, but Portsmouth had a bad day at the office, that can happen to anybody. Before they could even get into the game, it was already over for them.
“However, Chelsea were impressive – but on one game you cannot assess too much. Chelsea will be one of the super candidates to fight for the title, but I feel we have enough to fight with them.”
While many of us would love to believe that’s the case, surely the Frenchman faces an uphill struggle to match a team who can call on any number of talented players in their squad, compared to the threadbare set-up at Wenger’s disposal. Do Arsenal stand any chance of challenging the Blues for the title this season, or will it be a third-place or fourth-place finish for the Gunners?