Written by Mean Lean
on
Monday, 04 October 2010 14:29
I wish I could be woken up from what feels like another bad dream, a nightmare that I and many Gooners around the world have had to experience in the past. Without wanting to state the obvious, winning football games is about scoring more goals than your opposition, all the bits in the middle can be seen as irrelevant at the final whistle.
We went to Stamford Bridge with only one point in two games against mid to lower teams, we also had a pile of important players in the treatment room, yet we produced a top class performance. As usual we out played Chelsea, passed around their chasing shadows but when it came to the final third we did not have quite enough quality to unlock their tough regimented defence.
I spoke about the need for Arsenal to be efficient on the day, we needed to take the chances that came to us because we would not be given a great deal. We should have scored in the very first minute of the game when Sagna whipped in a cross from the right and Chamakh got ahead of Alex at the front post, his diving header flicked off the defender and away for a corner. A great early chance to take the lead but we were not done yet. The resulting corner was flicked on by Squillaci at the near post, looping over to Koscielny who ghosted in to head over the bar from a few yards out. He just needed to take the sting off of the ball and guide it into the net, instead he put his momentum into the ball and that was just too much.
I had my hands on my head for the next five minutes. Why couldn't we for once, take the very first chance that was presented to us and change the direction of the game. Our game plan could have been altered, we wouldn't then have the need to go pushing forward in search of a goal, instead using the ball to attract the Chelsea players towards us and then hit then quickly when they were out of position. Instead we failed to convert and we let Chelsea off the hook. I tried to get that feeling out of my head but it was grating on me all during the first half.
I was surprised to see Abou Diaby start the game after being out injured and I was even more surprised to see him playing further forward. Abou who was shockingly bad at West Brom the week before had a superb game. We missed his presence in our games against them last season and they found it difficult to deal with his quick feet and dribbling. Ability is certainly not an issue with Diaby, consistency is still what he should be striving for.
Arshavin had a cracking shot from distance that was well saved by Cech but I thought Nasri should have done better when he brilliantly sold Ramires on the edge of the area and cut inside on his left foot, instead of curling an effort towards the far post he struck through the ball and his shot flew wide of the post. How I wish Nasri had swapped one of his goals against West Brom for that strike to have found the bottom corner of Cech's net.
Clearly we were the better team, and looked the more likely team to break through but when you are playing a top side at their own ground then they will always remain a threat. Didier Drogba had been well marshaled until just before half time. He had a shot well saved by Fabianski earlier in the half. Five minutes before half time Drogba scored against Arsenal yet again. Ramires had fouled Song moments earlier but nothing was given, Chelsea moved the play on to Drogba who got fouled himself. A quick free kick was taken and Ashley Cole who was fed by Ramires, eventually crossed to Drogba on the near post to turn it into the net on the turn.
There was a catalogue of wrongs that could have prevented the goal. Song's first touch let him down after Jack flicked the ball to him, Squillaci wasn't switched on after bringing down Drogba, Chamakh was not aggressive enough in the tackle with Ramires, he was favourite to win the ball but didn't commit himself as much as the Brazilian did. Sagna was not tight enough on Cole and Koscielny could have blocked Drogba's near post flick. Plenty of if's and maybe's to deal with. Some more guilty than others but it was the same result. We were not able to keep them out.
We should have been winning the game but instead found ourselves behind at the break.
A few minutes later we had another chance to score, Chamakh attempting to pull down an Arshavin cross when going for goal in a great position would have been the better choice.
It looked as if Abou Diaby's afternoon and quite possibly much more was over when Essien landed on his ankle. Fortunately he was able to continue. The second half was much like the first, Arsenal dominating the ball, looking for gaps in the Chelsea defence and once those gaps were found, continuing not to take advantage.
Samir Nasri whipped in a great ball from the right across the six yard box, all that was needed was for Andrey Arshavin to be standing at the back post to tap it into the unguarded net but Arshavin did not attack that space.
Chelsea could have sealed the match on the hour, captain for the day Squillaci messed up his lines and fell over while attempting a back pass, Anelka was on it in a flash, he rounded the impressive Fabianski and only managed to hit the side netting. It is a chance missed like that at 1-0 up that Arsenal would often be punished for, I hoped that it could become a major talking point at the end of the game and not an insignificance.
I thought Rosicky added plenty of purpose when he replaced Diaby with twenty minutes to go, I thought he might have started the game but it is hard to argue the inclusion of Abou Diaby who was one of our better players both offensively and defensively. Diaby won many headers from Chelsea corners when he was on the pitch and he was a constant thorn in the Chelsea side. Rosicky added something different, something sharper. If Arsenal would have scored then I would have put money on little Mozart having a part to play in it.
Chamakh had missed another header from yet another Sagna cross, Chamakh usually so deadly in the air could not find that goal when we so badly needed it and that was a shame. His graft and work up front was commendable. He must have run more than any forward in the league during that 90 minutes.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas made his first Premier League appearance, coming off the bench to replace Wilshere who had a very good game against experienced players.
Three minutes later Chelsea wrapped up the points. Nasri made a sloppy pass that Anelka intercepted, Koscielny had no choice but to bring him down and take the yellow card. Drogba was set to take the kick but then moved to the side of the ball. Alex who has had his fair share of success against us in the past, drove an unstoppable rocket shot into the top corner of Fabianski's net. The accuracy of the strike was even more impressive when you think that Malouda was occupying the exact spot that Alex struck at. The Arsenal wall should have been wiser to it as they couldn't have expected that Malouda was there to attempt to block his team mates effort.
Essien could have made it three shortly afterwards but Fabianski once again did well to block the effort. The final whistle blew and Chelsea celebrated. Another professional performance by Chelsea and another good display from the Arsenal without the final touches.
Conclusion
It was much of the same, Arsenal played the football, looked the more convincing team, failed to take chances and were punished. It was an improved display from the Arsenal team, even if we were missing some of our most important players. As much as the injuries frustrate me, we had a team out there good enough to beat a Chelsea first team minus Frank Lampard and that in itself is a positive. Having been shown the Chelsea bench before the game I cannot say that I am too impressed with their squad. Profligate or not, Chelsea would not have had a chance against us with Drogba (Van Persie), Lampard (Cesc), Terry (Vermaelen) and Malouda (Walcott) missing and we had those players minus Cesc available.
The one thing that I will say is that blaming our missed chances on injuries is a little too simplistic. I believe that Wenger has created a team full of great creative footballers who can score goals yet we do not always have great goal scorers who can play football. In games where the opposition are strong defensively and committed to breaking against us then we often find it difficult to take the little chances we do have.
Over the course of the season we will score plenty of goals because our creative players churn out plenty of chances but in games like that, we missed an Eduardo of old who had the sense of where to be in the box and once he was presented with one of the new chances he would have the calmness and confidence to find a corner instead of snatching at shots or looking for another player.
Carlos Vela will be that player but he isn't ready to dominate Chelsea just yet.
This is a very disappointing result but losing away to the Champions is no reason to commit suicide. A seven point gap at the beginning of October is nothing to speak of, not ideal but simply far too early to be talking of waving white flags.
On a brighter note, if these players can put in that effort and performance in most weeks then we will win enough games to be right up there at the end of the season. It depends on the players and no one else. Arsenal vs West Brom and Chelsea vs Arsenal were two different games by the same group of players. Whichever group decide to turn up more often will decide our season when the trophies are handed out in May.
Fabianski (7)
Sagna (7)
Squillaci (6.5)
Koscielny (7)
Clichy (7.5)
Song (6.5)
Wilshere (7)
Diaby (7.5)
Nasri (7)
Chamakh (7)
Arshavin (6.5)
Please note that ratings are only my interpretations of the game and that others will have differing opinions
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