FA Cup Final. Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea. 5 Things.

1.       One Goal Down Five Minutes in

Chelsea have matched Arsenal’s formation today, and it’s been an open first few minutes. Not sure who takes the blame for this one. There are plenty of Arsenal players back, but they are undone by a few delicate touches and nimble movements. Chelsea’s ex-Arsenal striker is at the heart of it, doing what he does best.

Pulisic is allowed to turn and run at Arsenal in the middle of the pitch. He lays it off to Mount on the left wing, whose low cross is deflected to Giroud. The Frenchman lightly flicks the ball to Pulisic, who has continued his run, bursts onto the ball, rounds the remaining Arsenal defenders and clips the ball past Martinez.

 

2.       Getting Good at These

Arsenal are getting some joy with balls over the top, and AMN has done well so far making runs down the left. This time it’s Auba who does the damage. A high ball is smashed over the Chelsea defence. Auba gets the wrong side of Azpilicueta, and the defender is pulling on the strikers shoulder as he struggles to keep pace and get back goal side of the forward.

The foul starts outside the box and finishes inside the box, so a penalty is given. No red card as another Chelsea defender is just about getting back in to make a challenge if play continued. Auba steps up for the penalty, sends the keeper the wrong way, and casually slots the ball into the opposite corner. An inch-perfect finish into the side netting.

 

 

3.       Groundhog Day of Corners

Much of the pre-game hype was spent talking about Chelsea’s poor zonal marking system at corners and their inability to defend set pieces. So, what do Arsenal when they get a corner? Play short ones, of course. It gives Chelsea players the chance to drop their zonal marking strategy and defend properly.

There were rumours Arsenal are going to employ a specialist corners coach. Yes, please. Arsenal had three corners in quick succession and played all three short. Not one was successful, and they showed no sign of improvement as each one was taking. Arsenal did a similar thing against Aston Villa, playing chipped balls to the edge of the box… what’s going on?

 

4.       Never in Doubt

Chelsea have dominated possession since the start of the second half, but it’s the Gunners that take the lead. Arsenal have been camped in their own half, however the defence has looked reasonably comfortable.

Bellerin goes on a gut busting 40-yard run, showing some quick feet to take it past a couple of Chelsea players. His luck runs out just in front of the 18- yards box as he’s tackled, but the ball falls kindly to Pepe on the right. He cuts inside and switches the play to Auba on the right. The Chelsea defender marking him is showing him away from goal and onto his weaker foot. The goal machine accepts his challenge, switches the ball to weaker foot and dinks the ball over their on-rushing keeper.

 

 

5.       Deserved Red

There will be no repetition of the Jorginho antics we once saw. Chelsea fans will argue the final foul for the second yellow and red was soft, but it’s the accumulation of offenses. Continuous fouling will be punished. Once you’re booked, you can’t go on fouling, everyone knows that. One yellow card and two more fouls equals a red.

It’s at least Kovacic’s third meaningful foul of the game. His first foul was reckless, his second was a nibble from behind. The Chelsea man got a yellow card for his first while his second, only a few moments later, escaped a second yellow. At that point, a player must know they are very close to seeing a red. His third was perhaps more of a coming together of legs, but who cares.

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