Arsène Wenger admitted last night that Arsenal are suffering from a mental block when it comes to playing against Chelsea. His side have not beaten their rivals for four years and Wenger has not emerged victorious in 13 meetings with José Mourinho.

Wenger is adamant that Arsenal have closed the gap to Chelsea over the course of the season, but conceded that some mental scars remain, which he believes inhibited his side’s attacking play yesterday. “I think we have closed it since the start of the season, but what happened today is that they had the experience at the back and could close the game down,” Wenger said.

“We lacked a bit, maybe, freedom of mind today. Maybe we were too conscious of their counterattacking