'I joined Arsenal from Chelsea – one major difference left me shocked'

A Premier League icon already gave his take on the biggest difference between Arsenal and Chelsea

Petr Cech has confessed that the fierce winning mentality he was accustomed to during his 11-year stint at Chelsea was absent at Arsenal.

The former goalkeeper, who won 13 major trophies with Chelsea including four Premier League titles and the Champions League, moved to Arsenal in a £11million deal in 2015 after losing his number one spot to Thibaut Courtois.

Despite making 139 appearances for the Gunners over four years, Cech's trophy haul at the Emirates paled in comparison to his glittering career at Stamford Bridge. His only honour with Arsenal came in 2020 when they triumphed over his former club to win the FA Cup.

However, the disparity in consistent trophy wins was a result of what Cech identified as the most significant difference between the two London clubs.

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In a 2018 interview with the Evening Standard, the 43-year-old highlighted the contrasting mentalities at Chelsea and Arsenal, stating: "It will sound strange but I think generally at Arsenal there is not enough pressure.

"Arsene [Wenger] is a real gentleman. As much as he hates losing, he stays a gentleman." Cech also revealed how morale would plummet in the Chelsea dressing room even if they drew games.

He added: "If you lose, you win, you lose, you win, he kind of carries on. That's something I've never experienced before. At Chelsea, at the times when we drew, it felt like a funeral in the dressing room. It was so bad.

"If we drew against a big team at home, it was like: 'Oh no, it is impossible we didn't win at home.' It came from everywhere: the players, the coach. Since the start when I was there, the pressure was there every game."

A year later, he reflected on the contrasting approaches between the two clubs, suggesting both philosophies can deliver silverware. After recording his 200th Premier League clean sheet against Watford in 2019, Cech explained: "Chelsea has the cult of being a winning machine.

"You can see it from the top to the bottom. It works like that. The pressure just works in a different way. That's why you have so many managerial changes. Arsenal obviously have the same continuity, the same manager.

"There is a completely different philosophy and a different way of doing things. There is no right or wrong." The fierce rivalry between the capital clubs resumes on Tuesday evening in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Arsenal hold a 3-2 advantage from their victory at Stamford Bridge last month with the winner of the clash facing either Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley on March 22.