Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Chelsea are starting to suffer from a drop of confidence after suffering yet another defeat, their fifth of the season.

Speaking after the game, the Frenchman believes it is always difficult to recover when you concede at the end of the first half as he added how the two goals in the first part of the second half made the task of his players easier with the Blues now having a big mountain to climb with many asking for Carlo Ancelotti’s head.

Asked about what it means to win a big game after a long time, Wenger replied by saying how his players are not bullied any more on the pitch as he again said how his players are now showing signs of maturity.

On the title race, the Frenchman concluded by saying how the Gunners are in there with a shout, very close to leaders Manchester United and ready to approach a long second part of the season with the right believe.

After the Chelsea win, Wenger said:

It is always difficult when you concede just before half-time when the game is so tight and especially in a big game. Then we got two big goals. [Chelsea are] a team that haven’t won recently and the drop of confidence must have been felt.

They must have felt they had a team with huge desire up against them. You never know with them – they have so many experienced players – so we didn’t expect any weakness of them before the game. We took our chances well and, at 1-0, we took advantage of catching them on the break. At 3-0 you have to gamble.

I still count Chelsea as one of the big contenders of the League. I do not think they’re out of it – not at all – after their defeat tonight.

We are not bullied any more. That is for sure. It’s always very difficult to say because every game is different, but I feel we have matured over the last two years. But this League is very difficult to predict. Every game is difficult for everybody. We have to show we’ve got that out of our system and show we can be consistent.

I don’t think we’re very far [from the title]. We’re in December and in touch with Manchester United. We have to be at our best and continue to improve. I hope the victory tonight will convince the team that we are moving in the right direction and we continue to improve.