Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has revealed he did not
celebrate his goal against former club Arsenal at the Emirates
Stadium because he still loves the Gunners.
The Blues bounced back from their last-gasp Champions League
semi-final exit to Barcelona by humiliating Arsene Wenger's side
4-1 in their own back yard, the North London outfit's heaviest
defeat at their new stadium.
Anelka netted Chelsea's second of the game with a rasping
long-range effort, his 18th league goal for the club since arriving
from Bolton in January 2008.
However, the Frenchman chose not to celebrate his vicious
strike, and has since revealed he did not wish to insult the fans
of his former club, having made 65 league appearances for Arsenal
from 1997-99 - scoring 23 times - before joining Real Madrid for
£23 million.
“I still love the club, the people, even if they think I don’t
love them,” he told Chelsea’s official website.
“It is normal I don’t celebrate."
Only a month ago, Anelka was revealing he still had a soft spot
for another of his former English clubs, Liverpool, ahead of the
Reds' Champions League quarter-final tie with Chelsea.
The striker spent five months on loan at Anfield in early 2002
from Paris Saint-Germain, scoring four league goals in 17
appearances.
“I played my best football at Liverpool. I played in my best
position," he said.