Articles
4 Ways to give Chelsea the blues
Date: 27 Nov 2009By Ole Gunner
We have to beat Chelsea on Sunday. When we win, here are some of the things we might have done to edge the game.
1. Outmidfield them. Chelsea’s strength is their midfield. Essien, Ballack & Lampard will out-graft and out-scheme most teams.
Carletto has built on that core strength with his much talked about diamond formation. One of Essien, Ballack and Mikel plays at the ‘base ‘of the diamond, continuing Mourinho’s practice of playing a 3rd centre back in midfield.
At the tip of the ‘diamond’, one player is detailed to get in and around the opposition box.
It is a narrow formation that builds on Chelsea’s strengths. By massing up bodies in midfield, intensity is added to the physical and technical strength that Chelsea have. If you were going to lose the midfield battle to them already, you would now not only lose it, they’d be more dangerous in your last third.
Anelka will drop back into midfield and try to orchestrate attacks from deep. This might create confusion for teams. While it is a tactic that has worked for them this season, I think the centre backs should completely ignore this tactic, while the midfield concentrate on keeping shape, and the two wide forwards make sure they defend well 1-on-1 if he (Anelka) happens to be near them.
On the other hand Ancelotti’s diamond is also a surrender to their weaknesses. They do not have genuine width. While they rely on a resurgent Ashley Cole, and a capable Bosingwa to play most of the game as half-wingbacks, their narrow midfield means that teams that can play with cleverness and intensity around the fullback positions will get at Chelsea.
Look at the Wigan game to understand what I am saying. 2 of the Wigan games came from set-pieces. Forget the vulnerability displayed when the ball was crossed into the box.
Look instead at the fact that in both cases Wigan had two players out wide before the cross was made. The result was that the Chelski players did not know whether to send a man out wide to help defend the corner or to remain in the box and attack the cross.
It is not a weakness that exists only in corner or crossing situations. It is a weakness built into their formation.
What Arsenal have to do is to send players out to support whichever player has possession out wide. We need to be crisp, accurate, incisive, and quick with our passing in wide situations building play towards the central area of their final third to play in the striker and our most attacking central midfielder (Fabregas).
2. Start well.
Last season, we lost 1-4 to Chelsea at the Emirates. In that game, we could easily have been 3-0 up before half time. We did not take our chances, and they got ahead undeservedly with own goals and headers coming in off the post.
Chelsea will always start top games sitting back. In every single game against top opposition that I have seen them in, in the last 3-4 years they have done that.
It is why we have usually taken the lead against them in recent years. What we want to do on Sunday is to do what we did in recent years. We have to bombard them from the start, and this time make our advantage count.
We are more incisive and accurate this season than in previous seasons, and we simply have to make that count. Simply put, every chance should be put in the back of the net.
If somehow we do not make a good start count, then we have to make it a midfield game of inches. Keep shape, keep it tight in midfield.
Another of Chelsea’s weaknesses is that they can be very mechanical in midfield. They know what they are supposed to do, and they do it mechanically. If it works they are in business. If it does not, they look like Bolton. When it does not, it is usually because the other teams keep their shape.
The game will change again, and they will sit back, and you will have another period in which you can bombard them at will.
3. Drogba
If you are Arsenal you have to take care of Drogba. The way to do it is to get Gallas to deal with him. It has to be a physical battle, and the unfortunate reality is that with Drogba you have to play dirty. He will play dirty.
Didier Drogba gets away with throwing his weight around in ways referees don’t consider fouls. One example is leaning into the centre back while also holding the defender and taking small steps backwards. It is amazing how many times he uses this tactic and how productive it is.
It allows him to bring supporting players into play without really having to hold the ball up. It also allows him to win free kicks as, once centre backs push back against him, he goes down.
The other thing is to watch out for the hoofed ball upfield. So many Drogba goals against Arsenal have come from this tactic. We push up into their half, there is a 50-50 ball, some Chelski freak lumps it upfield, Drogba bullies the centre half and scores. Other times it is the same hoof, he’s fractionally offside but he goes on and scores. This time around, if it is necessary, the centre half should bring him down first-time if necessary. It is as simple as that.
4. Play at your best:
Chelsea have their best 20 players fit and available for their visit to the Ems. In that light they have an advantage since Arsenal have key players out. This means the 14 who feature for Arsenal have to play at their best. That also means you have to bruise them as much as they will bruise you.
Likely teams:
Abramovich’s favourite toy:
Lampard
Malouda Ballack
Essien
C. Cole Terry Carvalho Ivanovic
Cech
Bench: Hilario, Alex, Bosignwa, J, Cole, Belletti, Kalou, Deco
Arsenal FC:
Denilson Fabregas Song
Silvestre Vermaelen Gallas Sagna
Almunia
Bench: Mannone, Nasri, Vela, Eboue, Senderos, Walcott, Ramsey
Recent Previews
Search
Chelsea often dont play very good football against us. they normally score goals from nothing.
It's Cashley Cole to us gooners who plays left back for Chelsea.
Nice article Ole.
The game can really be described as initiative vs containment. Creativity v Solidity.
On the team selection, do you think Nasri might not be preferred to Rosicky, as the player in better form? He's a bit more physical, as well.
Sunday’s game against Chelski is without a doubt a must win game for us. Even a draw against that mob would be a bad result IMO.
Drogba has been a major threat to us in the years gone by, so we will need someone physically dominant in order to compete with him. The best man to challenge him in this area would have to be Vermaelen. Gallas is at his best when he is picking up the loose balls and diverting danger away from the penalty area. I’m pretty certain that Vermaelen will relish the opportunity to compete with Drogba on the floor and in the air.
I was very impressed with the way our front six functioned against Standard Liege on Tuesday night. I am praying that Wenger plays the same players, which would leave the likes of Eduardo, Walcott (whose at his best as an impact sub at present) and Rosicky on the bench. Vela provided the team with much needed pace as the focal point of our attack. Eduardo sadly doesn’t have this in his locker, however he is an exceptional finisher, which is why Wenger might start him ahead of Vela on Sunday.
One thing that does concern me is that Chelski have kept a high number of clean sheets in the Premiership this season. In the thirteen games in which they have played, eight clean sheets have been achieved. In comparison to our beloved team, we have played one game less, but we have only achieved three clean sheets, so defensively as a team, we really need to be on top of our game and defend like lions in order to achieve a win against one of the ‘smaller’ clubs in London.
Do I think we can pull off a win? Yes.
IN ARSENE WE TRUST!
I'd play Rosicky for his experience, and combination with Cesc. When he plays well, we play with fluency. But the main thing is that he's better in the air than Nasri or Vela or Theo.
With Bendtner, Diaby & RVP all out we need as much aerial prowess as we can muster.
I'll prefer Gallas against Drogba just because Gallas knows him better. Gallas is also quite strong. He's no shrinking violet. Also, the truth is that Gallas has hardly made any mistakes this season while Vermaelen (unfortunately) has made his fair share of mistakes.
I think Mikel will play ahead of Malouda with Essien further forward to stop Cesc. I think that will be key to the outcome.
Vermaelen has made some mistakes this season, but because he has scored four Premiership goals (which is an excellent feat for a central defender to have at this stage of the season), his mistakes have been overlooked unlike those made by the likes of Diaby and Eboue, who have received criticism from a small minority of Arsenal fans this season.
That being said, I still think Vermaelen is the best man to mark against Drogba. Look at the sterling job he has done against physical players of the likes of Rooney, Crouch, Zamora (I know he’s rubbish but he is still a physical player) and Darren Bent this season.
I just worry that our inability to keep a clean sheet in tight games could come back to haunt us again this weekend.
Your spam filter's at it again! I thought you'd fixed it?
Almunia
Eboue Vermaelen Senderos Traore
Song
Nasri Fabregas© Denilson
Walcott Arsharvin
Subs
Fabianski,Sagna, Silvestre, Rosicky, Ramsey, Eduardo, Vela
I think Wenger should give Theo a run up front he has the pace to beat the Chelsea defence. Arsharvin would also destroy the chelsea defence.
We are missing a good few 1st team players this weekend and is will be hard for us 2 get a result. I think we will win
2-1 (Arsharvin & Theo) / (Drogba)
What did you post? Is it a link?
I successfully posted one yesterday so I'm surprised the spam monster is back at it.
Chelsea is a balanced team of attack and defense, if gunners need to win they d need a very strong defense, which i fear is lagging a lot.