Arsenal thrashing was wake-up call for Chelsea, admits Nemanja Matic: 'We knew that we had to do better'
- Chelsea hammered United on Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge
- The Blues produced a stunning attacking display to win 4-0 on Sunday
- They have won three straight league games since Arsenal loss last month
- Nemanja Matic says thrashing by Arsenal was a 'wake-up call' for his team
Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic claims last month's heavy defeat by Arsenal provided the kick his side needed to ignite their season.
Antonio Conte's team are riding on the crest of a wave after three straight wins – their latest the 4-0 demolition of Manchester United on Sunday.
Their mini-run comes off the back of a disappointing 3-0 defeat by the Gunners at the Emirates and Matic says the loss was jolt they required.
Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic (left) battles for the ball with Marouane Fellaini (right)
The Chelsea players celebrate their fourth goal in stunning 4-0 win over Manchester United
Defender Gary Cahill cuts a dejected figure during Chelsea's 3-0 defeat by Arsenal last month
'You know sometimes you need to lose the game to wake up,' said Matic.
'The Arsenal game was a wake-up call for us. We knew that we had to do better, to want more, and we did that.
'It's easy to say we needed to work harder but after Arsenal we knew we had to show that we had quality, and we have done that in the last three games. We have showed quality, we don't concede, and we score goals.'
Meanwhile, Matic believes the convincing nature of Sunday's win over former manager Jose Mourinho's United has fired out a statement to the rest of the Premier League.
Chelsea players pictured at the end of the Arsenal defeat after suffering second league loss
'This was a moment to show we can compete with every team,' added the Serbian.
'I'm very happy because of that. Of course we don't forget that we lost against Arsenal, against Liverpool. But of course the table shows that we are there, we are near.
'We will try and continue like this. I think at the moment we are playing very good. It's not easy to win 4-0 against a strong team like Manchester is. We won a big game.'
Matic has admitted the 3-0 thrashing by Arsenal last month was a 'wake-up call' for his team
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