Joe Cole does not need long to recount some of his cherished memories of clashes with Arsenal as a Chelsea player. Casting his mind back 17 years to December of 2005, when he nonchalantly shoved Sol Campbell to the floor and guided a curling effort beyond the grasp of Jens Lehmann at Highbury.
One of the stars of this great Chelsea team under Jose Mourinho, Cole's victory parade was halted after the full-time whistle. "I got drug tested after the game. I thought I was the bee's knees, and everyone was waiting for me. By the time I finished and got back to the dressing room at Highbury and they'd all left on the coach, I had to go and get a cab outside by myself, bringing me back down to earth!"
That charming anecdote reflects on a period when Chelsea began to turn the tide on their North London counterparts. Dethroning Arsene Wenger's Invincibles in the 2004/05 campaign, they would then go on to finish above The Gunners consistently over the next 15 years. It is unlikely Mason Mount will likely endure the same fate should he repeat Cole's feat this Sunday.
