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Arsenal and Chelsea faced off in a closely fought pre-season friendly. Chelsea eventually emerged victors by a 1-2 margin, with Tammy Abraham scoring the winner.
Pre-season friendlies are usually used to gain match fitness. But this match was important to both teams and their managers on other fronts. Arsenal and Chelsea are still looking to do business in the transfer market. This match gave both Thomas Tuchel and Mikel Arteta a good opportunity to decide the players they want to keep at their clubs for this season.
Chelsea are rumored to be close to signing Jules Koundé whereas Arsenal have recently signed Ben White to strengthen their defense. However, there are a lot of players on both sides who were looking to impress their respective managers. This was visible in the intensity at which the game was played, with a number of rash and crunchy challenges throughout the game.
Arsenal dominated the early proceedings, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Thomas Partey both making their marks on the game. However, the Blues made their way back into the game once Partey went off injured, with their midfield gaining a stronger grip on proceedings.
Kai Havertz and Timo Werner were both playing their first game since coming back from their vacations. The Germans combined to open the scoring. Havertz finished brilliantly to score the first goal of the game after Werner played him through on goal following a swift counter attack.
Granit Xhaka scored the equalizer with a lovely header off a corner. Both teams had chances to score more goals but failed to take their chances. Hakim Ziyech hit the goal post for Chelsea, whereas Joe Willock hit the inside part of the crossbar. Willock's shot crossed the goal line after hitting the bar, but the lack of goalline technology in club friendlies meant the goal wasn't given.
The Blues ended up taking the lead again soon afterwards. Héctor Bellerín, who had come on a few minutes ago, gift-wrapped a goal for Abraham. The Chelsea striker took advantage of the mistake and scored to put his side ahead again.
Both managers made a number of changes throughout the game to use different combinations. Chelsea saw off the rest of the game to win the friendly derby.
On that note, let's look at the five hits and flops from either team in the game.
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#5 Hit: Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea)
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a man on a mission. The midfielder was on the rise under Maurizio Sarri more than two years ago before suffering an Achilles injury which completely halted his ascent.
The Chelsea academy graduate had an under-whelming loan at Fulham last season. He looked slow and the explosiveness from his game was missing. However, Loftus-Cheek looked to be getting back to his best against Arsenal.
The midfielder looked elegant and made some wonderful driving runs which showed that his confidence in his body is back. However, Loftus-Cheek did give the ball away at times, which showed that he needs to work a bit more to reach his pre-injury form.
The 25-year-old explained in an interview a few days ago that he is feeling strong again and it has been reported that Thomas Tuchel likes the midfielder. Chelsea's midfield was criticized for a lack of creativity last season. Ruben Loftus-Cheek can add that creative spark at the center of the pitch. This could be a make-or-break season for the academy graduate.
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#4 Flop: Tammy Abraham (Chelsea)
Since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, Tammy Abraham has struggled to get playing time. The striker has been linked with moves to different clubs while the Blues have been linked to the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Erling Haaland.
The striker scored the goal which proved to be the match-winner against Arsenal but his performance left many scratching their heads. Abraham spurned a number of other good chances which should have been put away. There is no denying the talent the Englishman possesses. However, there has always been doubt over whether he is good enough for Chelsea.
Chelsea's search for a new striker seems to be hitting a dead end, which may at least see Abraham staying at the club for another season at least. However, he will have to do much better going forward to earn the trust of his manager.
#3 Hit: Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)
Granit Xhaka has always divided opinions amongst the Arsenal fanbase. The midfielder was once again impressive for his country at Euro 2020. He has been linked with a move away from the Emirates, with a move to Roma touted to be on the verge of completion at one stage.
However, after his performance against Chelsea, Arsenal fans will hope that Xhaka stays at the club. The Swiss also looks set to continue at the Emirates, as revealed after the match. Against Chelsea, he came on for Thomas Partey, who went off injured. Xhaka looked impressive throughout and also scored the equalizing goal from a corner.
Arsenal have been linked with players to replace Xhaka throughout this summer, but he now looks set to stay with the club. The Swiss international also showed that he can be a key player for the Gunners this season with an impressive display against Chelsea.
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#2 Flop: Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal)
Héctor Bellerín started the game on the bench and came on during the second half. The scores were level when the Spaniard came on, but his mistake proved decisive at the end.
The full-back made an errant pass to slip in Tammy Abraham, who finished calmly to put Chelsea ahead. This was not the only sloppy moment of the game for the defender. He was indecisive throughout his time on the pitch and attracted the ire of the Arsenal fans.
The Spaniard has been at Arsenal for a number of years. However, he has not taken the leap to the level he showed as a youngster. As Arsenal continue their rebuild under Mikel Arteta, Bellerín could be one of the players to be moved on to make space for new blood in the squad.
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#1 Hit: Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea)
Callum Hudson-Odoi started the game as a left wing-back and played further forward in the second-half. It was another strong performance for the youngster.
The winger ran rampant down the left flank throughout the time he was on the pitch, showing Arsenal defenders a clean pair of heels almost at will. Hudson-Odoi also consistently beat his man like it was child's play.
There have been reports mentioning how Hudson-Odoi has used the off-season to work on his fitness with a personal trainer. This has been evident in his performances in all pre-season games so far. The winger looks to have regained that extra pace he showed before his injury.
Chelsea fought off Bayern Munich to retain the winger and sign him to a lucrative contract. His performances show that the winger is finally on his way to meeting the expectations that everyone has from him since his days at the Blues' academy.
Hudson-Odoi is staking claim for a starting spot in his side's Premier League opener against Crystal Palace. Chelsea fans will hope the winger continues his form and adds goals to his game as the season progresses.
