It wasn’t so much the fact that we lost which was so disappointing, it was the fact that we could have won. A few days ago I half expected we would lose, but hadn’t envisioned the opportunities we would squander. By far our best chances came in the latter part of the first half. It is still unclear whether Chelsea went missing or we somehow took complete control of the game at this point, but over this 20 minute spell it looked like we were going to win this one. By the end of the first half it was all Arsenal. Unfortunately the momentum wasn’t carried into the second half, and Chelsea were able to see things through.
The second half saw Torreira replace Xhaka in the defensive midfield. Xhaka had picked up a yellow card midway through the first half with what is becoming a trademark late and reckless tackle. Torreira came on with much anticipation, but really didn’t display the quality expected of him. He was anonymous at best, failing to put any real mark on the match. Clearly he will need time to familiarize himself with his teammates. I do not rate Xhaka highly, but Torreira added nothing over the Swiss. On the other hand, Guendouzi for the second game in a row was the shining star in the midfield. His work rate was second to none covering 11.2km, constantly breaking up plays, and his passing was spot on as well with a pass accuracy of 94%. Aside from his brilliance however, the gunners really couldn’t get anything going. Chelsea certainly dominated possession in the second half, but they too seemed to have lost their gusto and for most of the period it looked like it could go either way.
With regards to the tactics, as predicted both Emery and Sarri had their teams play up from the back, utilizing short passes to draw the opposition out when on offence and pressing high on defence. I am not certain whether we have the right personal to play out from the back on a regular basis. Leno may help from this point of view, if he gets his chance, but even then our defence and deep lying midfielders frequently look shaky when the opposition presses.
Ozil started in the attacking midfield role, while Ramsey started on the bench. This made no real difference compared to last week, with our presence in the opponents central midfield still lacking and Ozil still searching to find his best form. Surprisingly we seemed to have some decent wide play, particularly during the period we dominated at the end of the first half. Crosses were coming in a plenty, and there were several sitters Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan, and Iwobi spurned. Iwobi was a surprise start today, but did generally well, and not just because he scored the second goal. Mkhitaryan came alive for brief stints as well, but ultimately we missed way too many chances and paid for it.
It is difficult to pick out individual players that failed their duties today. We may just have to chalk this one up to playing against a good side and having a bit of bad luck. In the end it was a game we could have won, and should have at least taken a point from, and Unai Emery will be dissapointed to open his Premier League account with a pair of losses. On the bright side, the schedule eases up with West Ham next weekend followed by Cardiff City and Newcastle. No opposition will be guaranteed points, but certainly opening matches against Manchester City and Chelsea were always going to be a big ask. The next few games will be a better gauge of how Emery’s revolution is shaping up.
And at least we won the big London hair derby, as David Luiz’s hair was looking rather flat today. Another point for our teenage sensation Mateo Guendouzi!
