Wenger admits Arsenal may have had ‘mental block’ against Chelsea

Arsenal’s Community Shield triumph in pre-season could help them overcome the “mental block” of beating Chelsea in the Premier League, according to manager Arsene Wenger.

Wenger had not beaten Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 13 previous attempts before the 1-0 win at Wembley in August.

“It can sometimes be a mental block for the players or a team when they do not beat a team,” Wenger said. “So on that front it was good to win the Community Shield.”

Chelsea have had a poor start to the season, winning just one of their five league games and losing three matches – as many as they lost in the entire 2014/15 Premier League campaign.

Wenger added: “It is a big game. But let’s not forget it is the start of the season. What matters on the day is the performance.

“We know our position at the end of the season will depend on how we do in the big games.”