Arsenal’s 3-0 demolition of Conte’s Chelsea has been the most impressive result coming out of this weekend from the Premier League. A very simple yet effective job by the Gunners managed to rout their London rivals before half time. From then on, Arsenal controlled the game to which Chelsea threatened sparingly. These are some of the takeaways from the match.
1. Cahill and Ivanovic must be 2nd Choice
Once again a game has passed where Cahill and Ivanovic proved to the be weakest links in Chelsea’s defense. The first goal they conceded was a horrendous back pass by the right back, followed by terrible control of the ball by Gary Cahill. This led to the latter giving away position easily to a pressuring Alexis Sanchez, which allowed the Chilean forward to maraud forward; slotting past the Thibeout Courtois. That was the highlight of their mistakes, however throughout the match they looked incredibly fragile to any pressing from the Gunners. Ivanovic especially just doesn’t seem to neither have the legs nor the delivery to be a suitable fullback from the attacking sense. He is also easily exposed by pace, a vulnerability shared by Gary Cahill. If Chelsea have any prayer to getting to the top four, let alone a title challenge; these two need to be cycled out ala Rooney quite soon.
2. Coquelin’s Injury a Concern, but not a Crisis
A transfer window can make an incredible difference, and Francis Coquelin’s injury pays tribute to that. Last season, the midfielder’s injury would spell certain doom for the Gunners, as his replacements (Mikel Artete and Mathieu Flamini) were no where near the level required to carry the Gunners forward. Step in Granit Xhaka, a Swiss hardman that can pass as well as tackle. This, for all intents and purposes, is a major difference for Arsenal this season; as Xhaka can provide the quality in midfield to keep the Arsenal engine running. Coquelin’s injury is a concern, but with Xhaka and even Mohammad Elneny, Arsenal has more than enough personnel and quality to the keep on rolling.
3. Conte and Chelsea need an Identity
Compared to their competitors, Chelsea seem to lack a style or substantive way of playing. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City has an intense possession and pressing style, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool relies on pressing and counterattacking, and Arsenal play intricate football. Chelsea and to a lesser extent Manchester United, need to identify a consistent way of playing. The Blues have relied much on the likes of Cesc Fabregas’ and Diego Costa’s brilliance to get points. Antonio Conte’s trademark is to have a solid defense and foundation to build from. Yet, as shown from the previous results, Chelsea lack any such cohesion that his former Italian and Juventus sides possess. This will be key for Chelsea moving forward.
4. Arsenal Genuine Title Contenders?
Like any season where Arsenal has had a strong start, one must look at their title credentials with caution. The Gunners are infamous for establishing blistering starts and putting together impressive runs; only to falter late on to cede the title to another club. This year, however, Arsenal have the depth required to go farther than usual. The bringing in of Mustafi and Holding has allowed Arsene Wenger to relax on the defensive counterpart of his squad. Granit Xhaka’s addition allows Wenger to try different configurations with the Swiss, Mohammad Elneny, Santi Cazorla, and Francis Coquelin. Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are in a good patch of form. However, the big question is whether the Gunners can outcompete the likes of the two Manchester sides when push comes to shove.
Michael Skok
Football Editor for
Polish-American Portal www.Poland.us
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