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Stamford Bridge hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Arsenal since quite some time now. The last time they managed to win at the Bridge was on October 2011 when they won 5-3. Since then it’s been a sorry story for them under Arsene Wenger. A run of nine Premier League games without a win.
Now with the new manager, Arsenal fans have started to have new expectations. They have started to believe once again and would have been desperate to change their fortunes at the Bridge.
Here are the five talking points from the first London Derby of two new managers
#1 In-form Pedro
Two goals in as many games. That's not a bad start for anyone playing as winger. Pedro has been impressive for Chelsea ever since he arrived from Barcelona.
Manchester United wanted to get him but he chose Chelsea over United and what a signing it has proven to be so far. He has been pretty consistent throughout. With Hazard, Willian, Moses already there, it makes Chelsea even more dangerous under Sarri.
Pedro is expected to get more game-time under Sarri who likes to set up in an attacking format. If he manages to stay fit and keeps performing like he has done, a first team place will be a surety.
#2 Morata looked sharp
Morata has been at the face of a lot of criticism, even from his own set of fans for his performances last season. Throughout the summer of last season, he was being constantly linked to a move to Manchester United which ultimately didn't suffice and Chelsea got their man, which saw Lukaku move to United nonetheless.
With Costa departing, there was an added pressure on Morata to perform and if not replicate, at least try to get close to what Costa did at Chelsea. But he failed to live up to the expectations which led to Conte later dropping him and buying Giroud in the January transfer market.
He has been given one more chance to prove his worth at Chelsea. His performance against Arsenal certainly was an indication of that. He scored a beautiful goal, cutting inside the challenge of Mustafi and sending Cech the wrong way with his left foot! Apart from that as well, he forced Cech into making some really good saves.
#3 Missed chances by Arsenal
The number of chances Arsenal had in the first half, they could easily been four to five goals ahead. But their poor finishing let them down.
The likes of Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang who are expected to bury the ball at the back of the net, missed chances galore. Those were all easy chances at this level, with an open net to put the ball into. But all they managed to do was put their shots over the bar.
Though Mkhitaryan did manage to pull one back for Arsenal but Aubameyang was a frustrated figure. He is still looking to open his scoring account this season.
#4 Defensive Vulnerabilities
Both the teams looked extremely shabby in defense. There were a lot of open spaces in either of the boxes. Arsenal full backs made repeated in-roads along the flanks and kept the full backs of Chelsea modest throughout the first half.
While a ball over the top completely bisected the Arsenal defence for Morata to score. Though in the second half, both the teams performed better defensively.
Sarri is not known for defensive plays but if he wants to win the Premier League, he should get this sorted out as soon as possible.
Arsenal's defensive worries have been prevalent since the time of Wenger and they have not been resolved yet. Emery needs to understand that without a strong defence, even a top four finish will be too far to achieve.
#5 Sarri's Philosophy
Normally when we think about Chelsea we, associate them with a defensive brand of football. Chelsea have been successful all these years playing their way of football.
But Maurizio Sarri is a manager with a different philosophy. He likes to attack. He likes to keep hold of the ball more like Pep Guardiola. No doubt Pep proclaimed last season that Napoli was the best team that he had ever faced.
Chelsea's style of play against Arsenal is a reflection of what Sarri is all about. Though it leaves them vulnerable defensively but it allows them to push forward and hunt for goals which maintains the pressure on the opposition team throughout.
With this brand of football, if Sarri can manage to compact the defenses, then Chelsea could be a serious title contender this season.
