What a great game Arsenal and Chelsea gave us in this Premier League matchday—the Gunners came away with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Havertz and Martin Ødegaard.
The Gunners went into today’s match as favorites. Even with a couple of key absences on their roster, Arsenal has a great squad and depth in every area of the field; the players on the bench are capable of replacing any starter without a drop in quality. I believe that, in terms of squad depth, Arsenal is the most well-rounded team in the league.
On the other hand, Xabi Alonso’s team faced the league champions very early in the season, and this may be the toughest game they’ll face all year, as it’s no easy task to take on the champions so soon after taking over as head coach.
Beyond the rivalry and Arsenal’s recent dominance over Chelsea, the game was evenly matched at times, and at other moments, Arsenal controlled the match. After Chelsea took the lead, Arsenal began pressing so hard that they created the best chances of the first half.
I don’t think the Gunners need any help, so I find it a bit unfortunate that the video assistant referee system didn’t flag Gabriel’s kick on Dibu Martinez—which could have been penalized with at least a yellow card—but the referees turned a blind eye to that play.
This Arsenal team is tremendous—compact in defense, with a fantastic goalkeeper (that save he made after Estevao’s play was incredible), a very solid midfield, and an attack that seems to be in top form. If they can play like they did today against the top teams, I think they could win the league again.
Xabi Alonso and His Chelsea
It’s a tough test for Xabi Alonso this matchday, as his project is just getting started. While Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal for seven years, Alonso hasn’t even been managing the Blues for seven weeks—that’s not an excuse, it’s the reality.
The team looks better than it did last season, and they certainly can’t do any worse than the dreadful performance of the previous season, when they finished 10th. Little by little, the defense is looking more solid—there’s still a lot of work to be done there, to be sure, but that’s the path Alonso needs to focus on.
The midfield was a weak spot in today’s game; without Moisés Caicedo, it was virtually nonexistent. It’s clear that this area needs to be bolstered with one or two top-tier players to support the Ecuadorian.
The attack seemed somewhat frustrated by Arsenal’s ironclad defense, though their speed showed they can still cause damage. When Rogers, Palmer, and Pedro are in sync, they can be a real headache for opposing defenses.
It’s never nice to lose a London derby, and even less so against Arsenal. I think this loss offers several lessons for the team and shows where this squad stands and how far they can go.
I think that if everything goes well, this Blues team can finish in the top four of the standings and give the big boys a real run for their money.
Sad about the result but confident that what lies ahead will be much better. Up the Chels!! 🔵
