Arsenal downed Chelsea 3-2 at Stamford Bridge to take the first step towards the Carabao Cup final. They’ll have to navigate the return leg at the Emirates in three weeks time, a task that would have been
much easier if the scoreline today had been closer to what it could have and probably should have been. Arsenal dominated Chelsea. The annoying part is that the home side scored two goals out of nothing, both of which could have been called back for fouls, in my opinion, creating a bit more tension and drama in the tie.
But seriously. Arsenal created 2.75 xG and held Chelsea to 0.64 xG against. That was a battering. But the scoreboard, which is where it counts, doesn’t show it.
It was not an evening for goalkeepers, on either side. Robert Sanchez got nowhere near the ball on Arsenal’s first goal, which Ben White headed into an empty net (Ben White has now scored his last three goals against Chelsea). The Chelsea keeper spilled Ben White’s cross despite getting both hands to it, allowing Viktor Gyokeres to slide through and knock it into an empty net. To be fair to Sanchez, his kick save on Mikel Merino’s attempt that stopped it from going to 4-1 kept his side in the game and the tie. If that goes in, it’s over. At the other end, Kepa Arrizabalaga flapped at a corner and wasn’t anywhere close for Chelsea’s second.
You could forgive the Arsenal keeper, at least a bit, for not being in position to contest the shot on the second goal. He shouldn’t have come for the ball. He got himself stuck in the wash and didn’t get close. He also was completely cleaned out by Jorrel Hato flying through and smashing into him. A Chelsea player (not sure who) did the same to Ben White on their first goal. There is a difference between challenging in the air and jumping into an opponent. On both Chelsea goals, I think that line was well crossed. The Chelsea players didn’t come close to the ball, clattered into the Arsenal defenders, and took them out.
The first Chelsea goal also came because Martin Zubimendi slipped, creating a turnover. That goal never happens if the midfielder doesn’t lose his footing. Again — a very annoying game.
The Arsenal third goal was a thing of beauty. Jurrien Timber took four Chelsea players out of the play with a simple, vertical restart from an offside. Martin Zubimendi played it out wide. Bukayo Saka eventually found Viktor Gyokeres, who held off his defender to lay it back to Zubimendi making a late run. The Spaniard was patient and sat down at least one defender before scoring.
Gyokeres (1G, 1A) was richly rewarded for his best performance for Arsenal for a while, if not the entire season. His movement was better, he looked faster (somehow), and he did more with the ball when he got it. Hopefully he realizes that his goal came because he crashed the 6-yard box and got there earlier than he has been arriving lately. The Arsenal coaching staff should definitely, positively reinforce that behavior!
On Chelsea’s side of things, there is a temptation to look at this 3-2 result as a positive sign. That would be a mistake. They are fortunate this tie isn’t over already. Arsenal were in cruise control. Chelsea needed lucky goals. They still have big, big problems. And I don’t think that Enzo Maresca was the root of them. He may have lost the dressing room, pissed off ownership with his comments and behavior, what have you.
That’s separate from what I see as the fundamental problem with Chelsea football club: the players. Call it attitude, mentality, focus, dog-in-‘em, whatever you’d like. They’ve got that all wrong. I lost count of how many times something didn’t go right today — a misplaced pass, a bad touch, not getting a call — where they just stopped playing. The arms go up and out or the head goes back and they look up at the sky. They start yapping at the referee. All the while, the play goes on around them. You can’t do that! You’ve got to stay switched-on. Put your head down and hustle back. Go win the ball.
Maybe Liam Rosenoir can fix that. It’s a tough ask, though. His “best” players are the ones doing it. They did it under Enzo Maresca and they did it today. Enzo Fernandez just stopped running with Martin Zubimendi through the midfield on the third goal. Pedro Neto routinely stops playing when something doesn’t go his way (and he gets selfish yellow cards for dissent, to boot). Marc Cucurella dives in anticipation of contact while on a yellow card. He wasn’t shown a second for simulation, but he could have been. They’re a young team trying to learn, grow, and find an identity with their veteran players setting horrid examples.
Enough about Chelsea. Long may they continue to struggle. We should probably congratulate them, honestly. They’ve followed up their 1-1 win over Arsenal in the Premier League with a 2-3 win in the Carabao Cup. Those results go well with Mikel Arteta’s unbeaten record (4W, 4D) at Stamford Bridge and his 8-4-2 record overall against the so-called London rivals.
The most annoying thing about tonight’s annoying game is that it means the second leg still matters. This tie should be over. Instead, Arsenal will have to trot out the first-teamers at the Emirates on February 3rd. The Gunners could have and should have been able to proverbially take that one off. Now, they can’t. A very annoying win, indeed.
