#2 Wenger tactically outclasses Conte
Chelsea absolutely cruised to the Premier League, but their ship definitely waded on rough waters on the evening of the FA Cup final. They were thoroughly outplayed in all three departments.
Defensively, Chelsea were unable to cope with Danny Welbeck’s pace and intensity on the counter attack. N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic were well off the pace in midfield, leaving wide gaps between them and the defence for Arsenal to ponder their attacking options.
Welbeck often slotted into Arsenal’s midfield, meaning that Chelsea were outnumbered and ended up losing possession on multiple occasions and coming second best on most 50-50 balls – allowing the former Manchester United man to ply his trade on the break.
Despite pressing in the second half, Chelsea were thwarted by Arsenal’s zonal marking tactics – helped by the fact that their back three were in great shape for most of the game apart from a couple of minor mistakes from the inexperienced Rob Holding.
Per Mertesacker led a much disciplined defensive performance for the Gunners, which was integral in making it a memorable win for Arsene Wenger.
