Home   >   MOTDs   >   MOTD: Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal

MOTD: Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal

By on October 5, 2014

That fact that this match isn’t considered a bigger derby is frankly appalling. Any match which can spark Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger into a shoving match with Jose Mourinho, Alexis Sanchez to seemingly punch Branislav Ivanovic, and at the same time bring Chelsea out of their shell is a rivalry. Cesc Fabregas returned to play against his former club was just a sub-plot, and if anything we saw an entertaining, end-to-end match at times.

In theory Wenger’s formation should have set his side up to go at Chelsea, but without sufficient options all to often Arsenal gave the ball away attempting to play it out of the back. And frankly The Gunners were far to cautious going forward. Eventually this drew Chelsea out of their shell, and made for one heck of a match. Arsenal ended up threatening from the counter-attack, while their hosts often took it to them with Fabregas pushing further forward to peg Arsenal back and get in behind the spaces left occupied by Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, and Santi Cazorla. Eden Hazard was set free to work down the left wing, and Arsenal were allowed in behind Chelsea’s midfield multiple times.

But this only went to show that Chelsea is largely a more rounded side. A majority ofArsenal’s counter-attacks were stopped via Nemanja Matic right before they became dangerous, while Oscar showed discipline to get back as well. Arsenal’s only namely chance of the first half was ruined by a poor first-touch by Jack Wilshere on the edge of Chelsea’s penalty area and Petr Cech’s quick reflexes to come off his line. At the other end Hazard and Andre Schurrle were given far to much space, as Cazorla and Wilshere either neglected to get back on defense or were sucked up to shut down Fabregas and Matic. For much of the match Arsenal looked cautious in attack and nervous in defense.

That didn’t slow the intensity or entertainment value of the match in the slightest, however. Chelsea were sucked far up the pitch and Arsenal still did have chances on the counter. And boy did Hazard make it a show. The Belgian had been flirting in and out of the open pockets of space he was given to play with early on, but twenty-seven minutes in made his mark. From a standing position twenty-five yards out with a wall of Arsenal defenders to beat, he jinxed past Cazorla with a brilliant sudden burst of speed, then took a touch to get around Calum Chambers before drawing a challenge and penalty out of Laurent Koscienly. It seemed like he didn’t even have to look to convert the following penalty as well.

Yet it was far from over and Mourinho of course refrained from his trademark move of leaving the dugout a few minutes before halftime. Intensity was high and highlighted by a poor challenge from Gary Cahill which almost definitely should have warranted him a red card, as well as Thibaut Courtois’ head injury which delayed the game for a full eight minutes.

At the other side of halftime Cazorla came close, before another incredible showing from Hazard saw him beat Chambers before cutting a low cross back into the middle which ricocheted off Mathieu Flamini and only out for a corner off the arm of an unwitting Wojciech Szczesny. Eventually the pace of the match died down, with Mourinho brining John Obi Mikel on for Schurrle, therefore putting Fabregas into a more attacking position and sitting back. In fact, they almost lulled Arsenal forward and into a false sense of security.

Then, with one brilliant ball lobbed over the defense from Fabregas, a perfectly timed chest-trap from Costa and a dinked finish above Cech, the match was put to bed. The goal not only highlighted both Costa and Fabregas’ brilliant ability and Wenger’s mistake by not taking up his chance to sign the latter, but Chelsea’s versatility having played more outgoing football earlier on in the night. In fact, Costa would have drawn a Premier League record of ten goals in his first seven matches in the league only to somehow scoop a low cross over in front of an open net. It might have been his one mental lapse so far this season, much less his one lapse on the night.
Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.