ARSENAL HAVE THE SQUAD TO BE CHAMPIONS, TAUNTS JOSE

BEFORE Jose Mourinho disappeared into the manager’s office at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon, there was one last chance to twist the knife into Arsene Wenger. The Chelsea boss was in full flow, swiftly moving on from an inevitable disagreement with Wenger over Diego Costa’s behaviour and turning his attention to the quality of the Arsenal team. ‘I think Arsenal have the squad to be champions — and every season I feel that,’ claimed Mourinho. It was another pointed dig at Wenger. No one really believes Arsenal are good enough to win the Barclays Premier League with this team but it suited Mourinho to give Wenger another jab in the ribs. ‘I don’t know why they can’t win it,’ added Mourinho. ‘If one of their players is a free agent and Arsenal don’t want him there, I would take every one. I like all of their players.’ Arsenal have not won the title since 2004, when Wenger assembled a team of Invincibles. And this was another brutal lesson after they succumbed to Costa’s shenanigans and allowed poor discipline to mask their usual inadequacies. Gabriel Paulista lost out in a verbal exchange with Costa before the Arsenal defender’s petulant donkey kick at the striker towards the end of the first half. Captain Santi Cazorla left his team-mates to play out the remainder of this fiery derby with nine men when he was sent off 11 minutes from time. By then, Kurt Zouma had headed Chelsea in front and they added a second in injury time when Eden Hazard’s strike deflected in off Calum Chambers. Arsenal’s season has juddered to a halt after they were beaten at Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Wednesday. This was the chance for them to build on the psychological blow that was struck on August 2 when they won the Community Shield against Chelsea at Wembley. Instead the dopey dismissals have given Arsenal an excuse again, as they preferred to blame Costa and referee Mike Dean for this defeat. On Wednesday they play Tottenham in a Capital One Cup tie, which has taken on extra significance. ‘We have played the last couple of games with 10 men in the second half and I hope we can play 11 v 11, but it’s another derby so it’s not guaranteed,’ said Wenger. The Frenchman will take some calming down after Costa’s contribution, which included the demand for a yellow card when he tripped over his own feet. Of Gabriel’s sending-off, Wenger said: ‘I would like Mike Dean to look at everything that happened and see if he stands by the decision. ‘You can spit in my face and if it’s in a game then I will not respond — but I do not guarantee that outside the game.’ Costa will find out today — after the FA study Dean’s report — if he faces retrospective action for his part in the incident that led to Gabriel’s dismissal. He is likely to be on the bench for Wednesday’s Capital One Cup tie at Walsall with Radamel Falcao starting and John Terry, dropped for Chelsea’s last two games, returning to the team.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Ivanovic, Zouma, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas (Mikel 90); Pedro, Oscar (Ramires 69), Hazard; Costa (Remy 82). Subs not used: Blackman, Falcao, Terry, Loftus-Cheek. Booked: Ivanovic, Oscar, Costa. ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Koscielny, Gabriel, Monreal; Coquelin (Chambers 46), Cazorla; Ramsey, Ozil (Giroud 75), Sanchez (Oxlade-Chamberlain 75); Walcott. Subs not used: Ospina, Debuchy, Gibbs, Arteta. Booked: Gabriel, Cazorla, Chambers. Sent off: Gabriel, Cazorla. Referee: Mike Dean. Attendance: 41,584. Man of the match: Oscar.