“In every game there’s aggravation, he gets away with it because referees are weak. We are also guilty because we reacted to it, but every time somebody touches him he goes down like he has been killed. I think the two sendings-off for us and Diego Costa stays on the pitch, that’s a shame. I wouldn’t like to be Mike Dean tonight, I can’t understand how he dealt with the situations.” - Arsene Wenger.
The Gunners' away day blues continued this week as we were sentenced to a 2-0 reverse at Stamford Bridge thanks in no small part to some suspect officiating from one of the most experienced match officials among the current crop, Mike Dean. Prior to this week Arsenal were on a decent run away from home, winning seven and drawn one of their last eight, and with their last away defeat coming seven months ago. Arsenal's first away game of the week,our Champions' League opener away to Dinamo Zagreb, featured a daft sending off in the dying moments of the first half, and a goal conceded from a set-piece early in the second, resulting in a 2-1 loss. Little were we to know that yesterday would follow the same script.
The home side, meanwhile, were in desperate form domestically... Chelsea had won just one and lost three of their first five fixtures and were languishing in 17th on the log. Their 2-1 loss at home to Crystal Palace was followed up by a 3-1 reverse at Goodison Park; the first time Chelsea suffered back-to-back league defeats since March 2006. Jose Mourinho has never suffered three consecutive league defeats. A 4-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in midweek had done little to restore the Blues' confidence ahead of this London derby, and many had argued that there was no better occasion for Arsene Wenger to get his first ever league win over Jose Mourinho, and for Arsenal to pick up three points at a ground where they hadn't since 2011.
THE LINE-UP:
Arsene had made six changes to the starting line-up for the game in midweek; giving starts to David Ospina, Mathieu Debuchy, Kieran Gibbs, Mikel Arteta, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and Olivier Giroud, but with none really staking a claim for a regular starting berth, the manager reverted to the same line-up that beat Stoke 2-0 last weekend. Gabriel continued to partner Laurent Koscielny in the continued absence of Per Mertesacker, who only resumed training this week after recovering from a chest infection. Theo Walcott was selected ahead of Giroud to lead the line for the third league game running, and Jose Mourinho perhaps foresaw this when he picked Kurt Zouma and Gary Cahill for this one, leaving club captain John Terry on the bench.
THE SET-UP:
The manager's choice to persist with Theo up front was interesting but not entirely unexpected. Whisper it, but I believe it's beginning to grow on Arsene. The forward's pace and movement have brought him numerous goal-scoring opportunities against different types of opposition, and this if not his finishing must have given Arsene the confidence to pick him for this one. Chelsea might have been privy to the threat that Theo possesses, but that did not stop him playing on the shoulder of the last defender to good effect. Ozil and Cazorla took turns to either loft balls or thread them in behind Chelsea early on in the game, one of which led to our first attempt on goal in the 29th minute when Begovic made a comfortable save from the Englishman.
Ramsey also covered a lot of ground, making up the numbers in the final third and coming in-field to allow Hector Bellerin to provide the width from the right. Both teams traded possession for large periods in an opening half that was rarely punctuated by any goal-scoring chances of note, and we were more than happy to be compact and maintain our shape whenever the Blues came forward. I thought Bellerin did well defensively up against Eden Hazard, and, at times, Diego Costa who drifted to that flank particularly often. Coquelin, interestingly, did not make any tackles today but he did injure his right knee as he challenged for an aerial ball in the 21st minute and had to be taken off at half-time.
“It is a little knee injury. I don’t know how long it will be … certainly not for midweek … I don’t know yet how long.”
Truth be told, this won't be a match that will be remembered for the football or the goals. An altercation between Costa and Gabriel resulted in yellow cards for both, and the 47- year old adopted Spaniard then did his utmost to first instigate contact from Gabriel, and subsequently get Gabriel sent off when he and the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Branislav Ivanovic goaded referee Mike Dean into it like the babies that Zlatan Ibrahimovic said they were last season. Arsene Wenger readily admitted that we were at fault for our part in the whole debacle, and I agree wholeheartedly. Gabriel was rather daft to get himself involved in a fight that wasn't his to begin with, and was rightfully sent off for his troubles. How though, in the name of all that is holy and just, did Costa not receive his marching orders as well? Prior to all this, while challenging for a cross with Koscielny, Costa had decided that he didn't like the French defender's facial features and tried in earnest to change this by pushing both hands into Koscielny's face before then barging him to the ground. How the officials spotted Gabriel's petulant flick on Costa but failed to see this is also beyond my comprehension.
Having found ourselves a man down on the stroke of half-time, it now became crucial that we keep the play tight and not give any soft goals away, which is why we did exactly that. Much like we did against Dinamo Zageb, this time it was Zouma who was left unmarked at the far post to nod the ball home on 53 minutes. With Coquelin off the pitch and the unfamiliar partnership of Koscielny and Calum Chambers in defence, there would have been slight concern about our ability to see the game out had Chelsea decided to go for the jugular. In truth, Chelsea took the pragmatic approach and preferred to control the game by holding on to possession, which perhaps was symptomatic of the indifferent start they've made to the season. Cazorla and Ramsey, moved to central midfield in the second half, still worked their socks off... Santi was 5/9 on tackles, Ramsey 4/8. The pair also combined to make four intercepts and sixteen ball recoveries.
The Gunners began to pick up a head of steam with sustained pressure and a flurry of corners in the Chelsea final third, and it was then that Santi picked up his second booking and subsequent sending off. With the Spaniard already on a yellow, he slid in looking to win the ball back from Fabregas right outside the Chelsea box but slightly mistimed the tackle and caught Cesc on the ankle. Another sending off which,as per the laws of the game, could not be contested. Arsene lamented that Mike Dean was harsh in sending Cazorla off, and you can understand his complaint when you realise that Santi only committed two fouls and was booked for both. With the Gunners reduced to nine, Hazard scored a second after a heavy deflection from Chambers, and Mourinho swiftly sent on John Obi Mikel for Fabregas. Typical Mourinho substitution, and typical Chelsea goals to win against Arsenal, a set-piece and a deflected goal. But anyway.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH:
Difficult to say given the circumstances in which the game was played, but Hector Bellerin shades this one for me. He marshalled Hazard well for the most part, and was the main attacking outlet on the right especially after Gabriel's sending off. He also made the most clearances of all players (7), and in this form I fear for Mathieu Debuchy.
A difficult defeat for the Arsenal to take, the second away defeat in a week, and with two more difficult away games at Spurs (Capital One Cup) and Leceister this coming week things will not get easier any time soon. We also have suspensions and injuries to contend with after today's red cards and Coquelin's knee problem, so we're really up against it. Also, anyone else a little worried about Alexis now? No one was dispossessed more often than the Chilean (5). But anyway.
Till next time folks.
*Quotes and image adapted from Arseblog.com*
*Stats courtesy of FourFourTwo StatsZone and WhoScored.com*
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