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At half-time, shortly after Moises Caicedo was sent off for a proper red card, Enzo Maresca There was only one simple message for them chelsea Squad.
“We need to redouble the effort.”
They did just that, and they match a lot. armoryEven with an extra man in the 1-1 draw, but with 10 players on the pitch, their effectiveness increased manifold.
This is a side that have clearly learned lessons from similar failures earlier in the season in order to properly develop as a team.
This is testament to Maresca, who also deserves credit for his excellent coaching performance. The Chelsea manager was quick to point out that Arsenal are probably the best team in Europe at the moment, but it didn’t always feel that way in the match, with the home team consistently performing well in almost every area – especially with nowhere to go. reece james, Trevoh Chalobah And Pedro Neto was covering.
A win would have said a lot, especially in relation to Chelsea’s own title credentials. The club have tried to play down this, and Maresca himself insisted that his reaction to the red card was exactly the same as in previous matches involving dismissals – such as the chaotic 2–1 defeat at Manchester United. This felt right at that moment.
This was confirmed by the results as well as the actual performance.
The difference in current expectations can still be seen in the responses. While Chelsea were jubilant and celebrated their resolution, Arsenal were defeated.
mikel arteta Self said he was left with a “taste” that “we should have had, and we could have won the game, but we didn’t.”
“It’s a learning point for me.”
Most of it was with Chelsea, who were doing well on it. James was everywhere. Neto was exhausted by the end, but for all the right reasons. He was tireless. Chalobah scored his own goal and then offered a vital intervention at the other end.
Any of this could even come down to Arsenal the same week. Arteta also said this, referencing the fact that this was the first game he had to play without both Gabriel and William Saliba for the first time in over a year.
“Starting with the derby, it’s been a big week. How emotional it is and how much need and intention there is to win. Then three days later to play Bayern Munich. We lost players in those games.
“For example, today we had to play [back four] We had never played such a difficult match before. The captain is still not here. Nine is still not here. Moss [Havertz] Still not here. we lost leo [Trossard] Even in the middle of the week. But the team had to react to that.
“I think overall it’s been a really positive week because the difficulty was so great.”
They would certainly have taken it for granted already: four points from two big fixtures, including over the second-placed team, and a convincing win over possibly the next best team in Europe.
However, after the way it happened, it looks like an entire statement was left out there; Two points lost, leaving Manchester City and Chelsea almost within reach – and before another tough week: Brentford at home, Aston Villa away.
If the running of fixtures means Arsenal will never be able to maintain the same energy as they had against Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern, then it perpetuates an old argument.
It’s really about Arsenal’s ability to apply pressure at home; To keep their foot on the throat of the Premier League.
Given all that has been said above and the fact that Arsenal are still five points clear, this may seem absurd, but it will remain so until they finally claim the title. That’s what Arteta was getting.
Chelsea got enough of them. Eberechi Eze was never given anywhere near as much space as he did against Spurs. Arsenal generally lacked fluidity and rhythm and seemed to be doing everything in a hurry.
It was as if they knew the game would happen but tried to force it. from him, bukayo saka Was unusually wasteful, until that one crucial moment, with so many shots and crosses in directionless directions.
Because, on the other hand, Arteta’s team came back. Liverpool themselves beat Arsenal last season, when their lead was still within reach. They claimed a return draw to keep everyone else at a distance.
Here, Saka certainly got the better of a tireless Mark Cucurella in another great duel, before delivering a superb cross. mikel merino Met a hunter’s header.
The only curiosity was that it was the goalscorer’s second Premier League goal of the season, and Saka’s first assist in the competition for over a year.
This perhaps shows that Arsenal have more to offer. However, Chelsea have more to offer than many expected.
As the game progressed it was almost forgotten that they couldn’t start Cole Palmer. There is character in this young team. Maresca himself also has a nose.
However, Arsenal still have the initiative.