Source: PA
Wilkins - Chelsea must be up for physical battle
Chelsea's assistant boss Ray Wilkins insists the Blues must combine strength with skill against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge if they are to avoid a second successive Barclays Premier League defeat.
Wilkins admitted his side were out-muscled by Manchester City at Eastlands last weekend when Carlos Tevez's goal handed them their first defeat of the season.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says his side must resist being "dominated" by the defending champions, but Wilkins has already vowed his team will use power as well as talent to prevent another setback.
"The Manchester City game was exactly the same as last year in that we didn't compete as well as we should have done," said Wilkins.
"We did not compete in a physical sense, that is why we lost the game last year and for me that is why we lost the game this year, and that is not like us.
"I thought City's Nigel De Jong was the best player on the pitch and they took us by surprise and should not have done. But that will not happen again. We have to find the happy medium between, strength, power, the physical side of stuff as well as playing football. That is what the Premier League requires. We must make sure we are up there in every aspect throughout the season."
