| Date | Time | C | Opponent | F | A | R | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Dec | 3:00 PM | P | Chelsea (H) | 3 | 1 | Win |
Theo Walcott says that Arsenal's turn of fortunes against Chelsea last night was down to an increased emphasis on the defensive performance.
Walcott scored in the Gunners' 3-1 win over the reigning Premier League champions, and has praised his team-mates for their defensive work and work-rate off the ball.
He said: "We were concentrating on the defensive of the game today. Everyone pressed. It was so good to see.
"Not just the starters, but the players who came on as well. They pressed and we didn't give Chelsea space at all. We did that throughout the 90 minutes.
"I think everything went well for us. We made Chelsea look average at times. We played some great football and not just the pressing. It was fantastic to see."
The 21-year-old hopes that the team will now start to play with more confidence in matches against the bigger teams in the league.
The England winger dedicated the victory to the fans and believes the recent disappointments in games against title challengers is in the past.
He said: "We didn't think about [the past defeats] at all. It was in the past.
"We wanted to do that for the fans. In recent years we've been disappointing and we've not got the result, but tonight we've shown the fans what we can do and hopefully we're ready for the season. It was a fantastic result for us."
Quote
They pressed and we didn't give Chelsea space at all. We did that throughout the 90 minutes.
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