Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Arsenal stay unbeaten within the Premier League, however solely simply after a poor efficiency and late drama at Stamford Bridge. The group information noticed Bukayo Saka come again in, that means the entrance three with him, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli began collectively for the primary time this season. Jorginho stored his place in midfield, and with William Saliba deemed match, the again 4 was as anticipated.
The tone to our show was set early on when Oleksandr Zinchenko was careless in our space, requiring Ben White to dam a shot earlier than one other Chelsea participant fired over. That was inside the primary two minutes, and it was one thing Declan Rice touched on afterwards, saying:
I feel the primary half might be the worst we’ve performed all season, when it comes to our sloppiness. Not doing issues in our construction, not doing issues how we’ve labored on all of them week.
Chelsea managed the area with a good midfield three, and have been awarded an early penalty when Saliba was adjudged to have dealt with the ball. Within the chilly gentle of day, I nonetheless suppose the handball rule is form of absurd, however would I’ve wished it if it occurred up the opposite finish? For certain. I nonetheless don’t know the place Saliba is meant to place his arms when he’s attempting to leap although. Do gamers should develop into seals within the penalty field or one thing?
Cole Palmer stepped up and scored the penalty, however I feel he was maybe a bit lucky to nonetheless be on the pitch. The terrible foul on Gabriel Jesus a couple of minutes earlier was borderline pink for me: from behind, late, nowhere close to the ball, studs down the Achilles. Very similar to Kovacic the opposite week, he received away with one there.
After that he took a tumble and questioned why Rice wasn’t booked. I assumed that form of factor was forbidden as of late, however possibly solely on some days, and maybe you must do the yellow card gesture too. Who is aware of when the refs make it up as they go alongside? In the meantime, Arteta received booked for questioning the penalty, the identical punishment as a harmful sort out. Soccer actually, actually must rethink the cardboard system, however that’s a dialog for one more day.
We have been, once we had possession, very poor within the attacking third. Nothing got here off. Martin Odegaard’s passing radar was in for repairs, and Chelsea got here closest to scoring when Palmer drilled a shot past the put up. The supervisor made a half-time change, bringing on Takehiro Tomiyasu for Zinchenko whose yellow card was inhibiting him. The Japan worldwide instantly made that aspect of the pitch safer.
Chelsea’s second felt inevitable given it got here from Mudryk, the participant we pursued so vigorously earlier than the cash males shuffled him off to West London. I discovered it a bit odd how decided the TV protection was to classify this as a goalkeeping error reasonably than the whole fluke it was. Sure, Raya was caught out, however that’s as a result of Mudryk miskicked it completely – if that is sensible. It was the one trajectory that would have ended up at the back of the online, and it was apparent he was attempting to cross it.
Raya didn’t cowl himself in glory shortly afterwards, enjoying a horrible move straight to Palmer who in all probability ought to have made it 3-1, however the Spaniard received again to stop it. That, for me, was his massive mistake on the evening. Not the aim. And to be truthful, I assumed Robert Sanchez up the opposite finish was way more jittery than Raya. I mentioned to James at half-time that I assumed Chelsea had a rick or two in them, and so it proved.
How we didn’t get a penalty when Sanchez channeled his internal Harald Schumacher to clatter Jesus within the head I simply don’t know. You sneeze close to a keeper they usually get a free kick, however what number of instances this season have we seen them blunderbuss an opponent within the field and get away with it? His time would come although.
Arteta made adjustments, with Jorginho, Jesus, Odegaard, and Martinelli making approach for Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Trossard and Havertz. We have been a bit higher however with 15 to go, I used to be steeling myself for defeat. I didn’t actually see how we have been going to interrupt down a cussed Chelsea aspect the place a 40 yr previous defender nonetheless seems to be like their finest participant. Enter Sanchez, who misplaced a move, Rice caught Gallagher napping, and curled residence a phenomenal end from 35+ yards out into an empty web. Sure, it was a goalkeeping error, but it surely was hardly a tap-in, and the curl and management from Rice was glorious.
You understand how individuals ask on a regular basis ‘Why does Mikel Arteta play Bukayo Saka on a regular basis?’, effectively the second aim is your reply. By his personal excessive requirements he had a very quiet recreation. No photographs, his passing was under the 70% completion mark, and the woolly Cucaracha was allowed wrestle and kick him with impunity all night. However even on nights like this, he’s able to making one thing occur.
I feel some credit score for this one must go to Ben White whose first time move to Havertz was simply beautiful. The German fed Saka who got here inside, crossed to the again put up, and there was Trossard to information the ball residence with the skin of his foot. A extremely beautiful aim, a tremendous end from the Belgian, and for Saka that’s 10 aim involvements in 10 video games this season. That’s why when he’s obtainable, he performs. And stays on.
We would have nicked it, Eddie received to a protracted ball effectively and hooked it simply huge with Sanchez crushed, and I assumed we didn’t fairly handle that interval after the second aim in addition to we’d have. Perhaps it was as a result of we knew we’d gotten away with it a bit, however a few of what we did was unnecessarily rushed and inaccurate.
Afterwards, the supervisor was happy with the character of his aspect, which is comprehensible, however not pleased with the efficiency:
What went fallacious is the beginning of the sport. I feel we didn’t play with sufficient objective with the ball and readability and we have been simply shifting the ball with out actually having the intention to threaten them, and that’s a very harmful factor to do towards groups like Chelsea.
Then we didn’t win sufficient duels and in tight areas once we had them, they escaped from that they usually attacked open areas and they’re actually harmful issues to do. So credit score to them as effectively as a result of they’re high aspect, filled with high gamers and you must acknowledge that.
And:
What I actually favored as effectively goes to the dressing room and the dressing room being quiet after enjoying 2-2 towards Chelsea and being 2-0 down. As a result of I do know that they need extra.
IF You can’t win, you don’t should lose the sport and in these video games towards massive groups, massive rivals, it’s that. we’ll take some learnings .
There’s no query that was one in every of our worst performances of the season, however I additionally suppose we have been a bit unfortunate to be 2-0 down. Chelsea have been tremendous, effectively organised and snappy within the sort out, however nothing particular, and have been forward through a penalty and a fluke. In case you are searching for positives, it’s that not solely did we’ve got the flexibility and character to return again into it, we had a bench at our disposal that basically helps you to do this. I don’t suppose this was all all the way down to the subs, however the gamers we introduced on did give us a little bit little bit of selection, and it helped in the long run.
There may be lots for the supervisor to take from this one, however not a lot time to parse what has occurred. We’re away to Spain on Monday to face Sevilla on Tuesday, and after the away defeat in Lens, it’s crucial we elevate the extent instantly. All in all, you may have your complaints concerning the efficiency, however not concerning the level. I don’t suppose we deserved way more, however I did take pleasure in how we got here again to earn it.
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That’s it for now. Have a terrific Sunday, and we’ll have an Arsecast Further for you in some unspecified time in the future tomorrow, recording time not but confirmed however we’ll preserve you within the loop.
