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.
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.
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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