Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has laid down the gauntlet to the Gunners, asserting that the team’s focus is internal despite the magnitude of the derby.
“It is a London derby. It’s always a difficult game, and everyone waits for it, now especially with Arsenal on top and us second,” Fofana said.
“But we will just focus on the game. It is a London derby, it is important for the team and for the fans, and we want to win the game. We don’t care who is first or second.
The derby comes straight after a monumental week which saw the Blues secure a massive Champions League win against Barcelona.
Fofana reflected on the victory.
“It was a great night and a great performance. We played well, we deserved the win, and we kept the clean sheet. Now our focus is on Sunday’s game. Yes, it was a great night, and we were all happy.”
For Fofana, who recently returned from a tough spell on the sidelines, being part of a solid defensive unit is critical, particularly after that hard-earned clean sheet against the Catalan giants.
“We played well and kept the clean sheet. Barcelona is very good, and we work every day to continue like this. As a defender, for me it is very important to keep the clean sheet, and we are all happy as a team.”
His return to fitness has been a personal triumph, allowing him to now enjoy his football and contribute to the team’s success.
“I feel good and happy. There were hard moments, but I’m happy now. I’m back with the team, trying to add contributions, that is the least I can do. I’m happy we are winning and keeping the clean sheet. For myself, it is very good. I play football and I’m happy.”
Fofana candidly discussed the hardest part of being injured.
“It is very hard because you are angry at your body and you can’t control everything. You are outside, not with the team, and you are alone. It is very difficult, but every time I try to stay focused and come back stronger. I’m back now, I’m fit, and I will continue to stay fit for the team.”
This winning mindset is clearly driven by manager Enzo Maresca, who Fofana credits with building a tight-knit squad.
“Enzo Maresca is a good coach. He keeps us close as a family. He speaks with everyone and the team trusts him.”
“We all have a good relationship with the coach and all the staff. We speak as a family, and we need that to win games over a long season,” he shared.
“He has a good relationship with me. He calls me, he sends messages, we are very close. He helps me a lot. He always tries to protect me and gives me a lot of confidence.”
The defender believes this cohesion is the key to their overall success this season, which sees them second in the league and doing well in Europe.
“The key is working every day and trying to improve everything. Staying together is important because not every day is easy or good as a team.”
“The most important thing is to continue fighting and progressing. We are only in November, and the season is still long, so we need to keep pushing until the end.”
This maturity extends to protecting their younger stars, such as Estevão.
“Estevão is amazing. We see him every day in training. We know for the fans and for people outside he is still a little bit new, but we know his quality. He is amazing in what he brings. He is young, and we try to protect him because he is the last born of the team. “
“We help him to progress because we don’t know how far he can go. He is amazing for himself and for the team as well.”
When asked what advice he would give to the young and talented player, Fofana kept it simple: “I think the most important thing is to focus on football, continue to work, and protect his body because it is important. He must stay as he is and enjoy football. That is the only thing he can do.”
So do Chelsea have pressure to follow on from their Club World Cup exploits? Fofana shrugs off any notion of pressure, even with Chelsea being Champions of the World.
“Pressure, I don’t know, but it is a good moment for the team.”
“ The team played amazing, but for sure now people wait a little bit because when you’re a champion the fun is a little bit… but I don’t think the team has pressure.”
“We just play football and look for opportunities to progress. That is important, to try to improve every day. We don’t feel the pressure; we are chilled.”
He insists that the young squad has already learned from past experiences.
“I think age is nothing, we just play. You improve when you play more seasons in the Premier League. For sure, you know so much more about the teams and how to play certain games. Now we know that, and it is good for this season.”
Fofana is optimistic about the club’s potential.
“Anything is possible. We don’t know, no one can say. But anything is possible because we are doing well and have improved and matured compared to last season.”
“We need to continue progressing because we have a lot of good quality players. We try to win as many games as possible and then we will see at the end of the season.”
While Fofana is delighted by the Blues progress this season, he insists all the teams focus lays on Sundays massive encounter.
“We celebrated on Tuesday after beating Barcelona, but now we focus on winning again.”
“It is a big game and we are playing a good team. We’ll try to repeat what we did against Barcelona. It’s 11 against 11, all together trying to do everything in our control.”
“The aim is to keep the clean sheet. We work well as a team, and it is important to stay together and solid. Everyone needs to attack as well. I hope we keep the clean sheet and enjoy the game.”
The massive London Derby between Chelsea and Arsenal kicks off on Sunday, 30th November at 4:30pm, live on Showmax Premier League.
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Sign up for the Showmax Premier League mobile plan for Ghs 55 at www.showmax.com for all the Premier League action.
