Hector Bellerin has called on his Arsenal team-mates to repeat the feat of Chelsea last year and use their early-season struggles to propel them to the top.
A 3-0 defeat for Chelsea at Arsenal in September seemed to suggest that Antonio Conte’s side were some way from winning the Premier League title, but the Blues followed that defeat with a 13-game winning streak that took them to the top of the table - a position they would not concede for the rest of the campaign.
The Gunners have endured a mixed start to the new term, losing two of their four league games, but Bellerin hopes the visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday can give Arsenal further momentum after Saturday’s 3-0 win at Bournemouth.
"Look at how Chelsea began last season and how they ended up winning the title," Bellerin told International Business Times. “It doesn't only matter how you start but to be consistent.
"Check the Chelsea results at the beginning of last season. They had a difficult time too, they lost two games and won several games in the last minutes [against West Ham and Watford]. Then, they won 13 consecutive games and eventually won the Premier League.
"Manchester City, however, started very well and then faded out. The important thing is to be consistent throughout the season. We have had two bad games but we now have six points and we have to look forward."
After a 4-0 humbling at Liverpool, Arsenal returned to winning ways in at the Emirates on Saturday, Danny Welbeck scoring either side of a fine Alexandre Lacazette drive as a sub-standard Bournemouth were put to the sword.
With Alexis Sanchez returning - and in Bellerin’s words "100 per cent focused" - the Spanish right-back sees cause for optimism in Arsenal’s formidable frontline.
"Lacazette has already proved that he can makes the difference. He showed it in the preseason and he prove it again against Bournemouth. He has shown that he is a very dangerous player and he makes those around him better," he said.
"Alexis is 100 per cent focused on Arsenal. He didn't start [against Bournemouth] after returning from international duty but when he came on he has proved that he is 100% and is going to be in every game."
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