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Unai Emery’s first away game ended in defeat at Stamford Bridge as Arsenal lost to Chelsea. With two losses out of two, the Arsenal boss is under immense pressure to deliver against West Ham.
Maurizio Sarri meanwhile enjoyed his second win in as many games, and now finds himself at the top of the Premier League table. Despite not having Hazard fully fit, Chelsea have managed to come up with the goods.
The affair at Stamford Bridge lived up to its billing and provided a spectacle for the neutrals. Chelsea opened the scoring and went two up after Morata scored his 2nd goal in 16 appearances.
After squandering a couple of gilt-edged opportunities, The Gunners finally found their shooting boots. Mkhitaryan got one back before Iwobi drew parity from close range. However, The Gunners were to endure heartbreak towards the end as Alonso swept home the winner.
The titanic battle in West London provided a lot of talking points. Through the course of this article, we will look at a few things we learned from the see-saw battle at the Bridge.
#1 Both teams still look defensively vulnerable
While the game was a wonderful watch for neutrals, the managers will be pulling their hairs out due to defensive shortcomings on both sides.
The wide players of Arsenal and Chelsea found too much room for the managers’ comfort. The problem was very evident in the first half when Arsenal carved out opportunity after opportunity courtesy of their full-backs - Bellerin and Monreal.
Arsenal should have put the game to bed before the break, and they were left ruing their chances in the end.
Similarly, Arsenal’s wide players’ non-inclination to track back led to them conceding two goals, including the winner. The first goal was created by Alonso when he found himself in acres of space on Arsenal’s right side.
Bellerin who was drawn towards Willian and Mkhitaryan didn’t track back efficiently enough to stop Alonso from having a free run at goal. The winner was scored by Alonso who popped up in Arsenal’s penalty box unmarked.
Arsenal also faced problems playing the high line. Chelsea exposed this weakness more than once, and if not for poor decision making, could have cashed in.
While Sarri would have liked the way his team cut through Arsenal’s defence, his defence's failure to avoid the same will be a massive cause of concern. On another day, with better finishing, Chelsea could well have found themselves on the losing side.
On the other hand, the problems just keep on piling for Emery, and he has a lot of work to do at London Colney if Arsenal is to challenge for the top four.
#2 Granit Xhaka needs to be benched
Another game, another Granit Xhaka no-show. This story is becoming too frequent for Arsenal’s liking.
After a poor display against City where he looked off the pace, Xhaka started again to the surprise of many. He didn’t cover himself in glory and was replaced at half-time. Xhaka was signed a few seasons back to be Arsenal’s enforcer in midfield, but unfortunately he has been a pale shadow of the enforcer Arsenal craved.
Against Chelsea, he was poor in his decision making and put the defence under unnecessary pressure while playing out from the back. Though he possesses an exquisite passing range, he seems to have gone into a shell.
Another drawback of playing Xhaka is the pressure (or lack of it) he applies on the opposition midfielders.
With Arsenal seeming intent on playing a high line, affording the midfielders space is a cardinal sin. Arsenal were guilty of it time and again, paying the price when Morata broke the offside trap to make the net bulge.
While Xhaka was on the pitch, Arsenal didn’t apply the required pressure to make the high line work. However, after he went off - Arsenal pulled off the high line much better.
After giving Xhaka a second chance to prove his case, Emery’s patience might just have run out. Torreira and Guendouzi seem to be complementing each other very well. If Emery is to get his first win, dropping Xhaka seems to be the best option.
#3 Chelsea are a different proposition with Hazard on the pitch
At the hour-mark, with the game tantalisingly poised, Sarri decided to throw on his talisman, Eden Hazard - he didn’t disappoint.
Though he was on the pitch for only 30 minutes, he ran rings around the Arsenal defence. He capped off his impactful display when he ran through on the left flank, setting up Alonso for the finisher.
Despite not starting either of Chelsea’s games, Hazard has a couple of assists in his bag. With another week of training to come, one can expect Hazard to make his first start against Newcastle.
Although Willian had a decent game, he lacks the creative spark of Hazard. After the latter’s introduction, there were a number of situations where he drew defenders towards himself, thus enabling his teammates to prosper.
Hazard brings a different dynamic to Chelsea’s attack. He runs at defenders and isolates them before dazzling away. With Hazard on the pitch, the game becomes easier for his teammates who then cause mayhem in the attacking third.
Chelsea would hope Hazard regains peak fitness sooner rather than later. With each passing game, one thing has become increasingly clear - the more Hazard plays, the better placed Chelsea are to win.
