Chelsea show true ambitions Vs. Arsenal
A London derby saw two teams on opposite trajectories. Under Maresca, Chelsea have blossomed, climbing the table, while Arsenal's shaky, ill-disciplined start has almost entirely derailed their title ambitions.
Chelsea showed both promise and growing pains. In possession, they played a 3-2-5 with Lavia and Caicedo anchoring midfield, the wingers wide, and Gusto and Palmer tucked in between them & Jackson. They excelled at playing through the lines and getting the ball straight through the heart of Arsenal's midfield but struggled to play out from the back as they gave away cheap opportunities. Early on, Partey struggled to contain Palmer, but over time Palmer’s influence waned as Neto stepped up, tormenting White before delivering a perfect cross Gusto should have converted. Jackson was key, especially in the second half where they saw less possession. His hold-up play was invaluable & he managed to play Makueke, Neto & Palmer in off the back of it.
Chelsea's defence was mostly solid, with both fullbacks excelling despite a misjudged offside trap that allowed Martinelli’s goal. The two-man midfield saw all the play happen in front of them as Arsenal passed from side to side but offered so much protection to their backline.
Arsenal’s issues persisted despite Odegaard’s return. They were repeatedly vulnerable in transition, with Chelsea able to slice through the midfield and defence with ease—an issue we've seen in previous games against Liverpool, Brighton, and Southampton. The midfield dynamic was puzzling—Partey was tasked with man-marking Palmer and initiating forward passes, raising questions about Rice’s role. In possession, Rice was too conservative and lacked the technical ability to support Martinelli effectively, Merino’s later introduction added control, composure and the awareness to choose the right pass forward. Mikel Arteta's transition to a defensive monster has not gone to plan.
When Chelsea scored, Arsenal had reverted to a 6-4 formation giving the opposition plenty of time and space outside the box, Neto's long-range effort wasn't closed down and he easily found the bottom corner, a goal Chelsea deserved. Instinctively after going ahead, they curled up into a shell, but it wasn't very strong.
Two teams fighting for the top four were fairly evenly poised. Both could've scored another with some of the chances, but Chelsea had the more potent threat, attacking boldly while Arsenal were restricted to predictable crosses. Neither team will be satisfied with that result & now they will have to wait until after the international break to get back to winning ways.
