Chelsea 4-1 Arsenal: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis

#1 Maurizio Sarri ends his trophy drought in spectacular fashion

Sarri clinched his first managerial trophy

Maurizio Sarri has endured a topsy-turvy 2018-19 campaign. While the Italian’s style was a breath of fresh air in the early part of the season, he was quickly criticized for it being a little too stale during the winter months.

Moreover, the drubbing at Manchester City and Bournemouth led to many clamouring for his head. However, he turned things around a touch after those games.

The home stretch of the Premier League saw each of the teams in the top four race stumbling towards the finish line. At such a juncture, Sarri ensured that his side got the job done efficiently if not extravagantly.

In recent times, the Italian has shown a proclivity to adapt his game according to the opposition and it was on display against Arsenal too.

For the majority of the 1st half, the Gunners found a lot of space down Chelsea’s right flank. However, rather than dropping back into his shell, Sarri kept Pedro high up on that flank to pin Kolasinac down. The Bosnian still ventured forward but that ultimately left space in behind. Thus, in the process, Sarri had not only negated Arsenal’s best attacking avenue, he had also masterminded a potential route to Cech’s goal.

Over the past few days, there have been numerous reports alleging that the Italian might be on his way to Juventus. Though that seems more than just a possibility currently, Sarri has ensured he doesn’t leave a barren trophy cabinet behind him at Stamford Bridge.

And for all the bile he received through the course of the season, he fared rather decently towards the end.