London, Sep 25 (IANS): Having thrashed bitter rivals Chelsea in Saturday's London derby, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger asserted that he is hungrier for success now than when he first arrived at the former English Premier League (EPL) champions 20 years ago.

Wenger tasted his first success against Chelsea on Saturday when Arsenal showcased both flair and opportunism to score three goals in a superb first half which sealed a 3-0 victory.

With Wenger celebrating his 20th anniversary as Arsenal manager this week, it was a fitting tribute by the players for the Frenchman, who officially took over at the London club on October 1, 1996.

"I'm hungrier now than I was (when he arrived in 1996) because I know I have not got 20 more years in front of me. I also feel a responsibility. You can't be 20 years somewhere and not care, so I'm more conscious now about what Arsenal is all about, and I feel the weight of keeping people happy, and making people happy," Wenger was quoted as saying by the Guardian on Saturday.

"Today was one of those moments as a manager when you think: "'Today is a great day.' In the first half it was nearly perfect. We showed great quality, we played with style, with pace, with movement. That's the kind of football we want to play."

The result took Arsenal to third place on the EPL standings with 13 points from six matches which include four wins, a draw and a loss. Fellow Londoners Tottenham Hotspur are a point ahead of them at the second spot while Manchester City are at pole position with a perfect record of six wins from as many matches for a tally of 18 points.

Wenger admitted that Arsenal's poor record against Chelsea in recent years had become a psycological barrier for his players, asserting that Saturday's victory also showcased the quality of his team.

"You couldn't fault any performance, from that of the goalkeeper to the centre-forward. There's still room for improvement, but that shows what we can do. Coming out straight after the game, I'd be tempted to say that was one of our best performances of recent years. And all the more so because we had to deal with some inconvenient facts before the game: Namely that we hadn't beaten Chelsea for years. To get that out of the system, that was a psychological hurdle standing in our way," the 66-year-old said.

"We couldn't ever say to the players: "'You've always done it against Chelsea', because that wasn't true.

"But they focused on the quality of the football, and had the belief. It helped us to win a big game. Between winning a big game and winning the Premier League, there's a long way to go. At the moment, Manchester City look a long way in front but, if we maintain the quality of our performances and stay consistent, we might have a chance," he added.