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Arsenal undone by familiar failing
When the dust settles, Mikel Arteta will feel a measure of satisfaction that so much of his message is getting through. Arsenal ran, harried, moved the ball on quickly, posed a genuine threat and did not really look like buckling under pressure until Bernd Leno’s howler changed the complexion. That felt harsh but what happened next was a reminder that simple game management is one of the first things Arteta’s Arsenal need to master. Sometimes you have to know when to take a point but, from their own attack, Matteo Guendouzi lost a crucial challenge to N’Golo Kanté and set in motion a movie everyone has seen before. Arsenal were shockingly open as Willian and Tammy Abraham sliced through them , a situation not helped by their centre-halves backing off criminally, and resembled a team that had rushed headlong to chase the game. There was no need for that and Arteta needs to coax a degree of overdue savviness from his side.
Lampard deserves credit for quick change
The act of a brave manager or an admission that he got his starting lineup wrong? Frank Lampard can reasonably claim the former given that it seemed entirely reasonable to select virtually the same XI that won so handsomely at Spurs a week ago. The anomaly was Emerson Palmieri’s presence at left wing-back; the Italian had a half-hour to forget but his problems were not the only reason Lampard chose to replace him with Jorginho after 34 minutes. Chelsea simply had not been able to build from the back, their central defenders all looking shaky in possession and their midfield failing to drop short and keep things ticking over. Jorginho is just the man for that – his near miss with a red card notwithstanding – and Chelsea’s improvement was instant. They gained a stranglehold that never slackened and, while Jorginho’s fortunate equaliser was probably not something Lampard had priced in, such a quick acknowledgement that things needed changing is hugely to his credit.
Özil’s rebirth continues with ovation
What a difference a fortnight makes. When Mesut Özil was substituted an hour into Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, his reaction earned him a dressing-down from Freddie Ljungberg and, effectively, a one-match suspension of duties. Against Chelsea he was withdrawn after 76 minutes, this time receiving a warm ovation and showing his own appreciation to the crowd, and the turnaround in reception was no accident. Özil is among several senior players who seem energised by the clean slate Arteta has granted them and the signs are that it is too early to sound the death knell on his Arsenal career. Frequently drifting to a narrow right-sided position, he was instrumental in a number of the overloads that gave Chelsea such a torrid opening half and his appetite to get involved out of possession, pushing on to Mateo Kovacic to good effect at times, was unquestionable too. Özil appears to have the stomach for the fight and, on the last two games’ evidence, is a genuine asset once again.
Lamptey sparks lacklustre Chelsea into life
Chelsea are a strange side and, while this result gave them a second excellent London derby away win in the space of a week, they might not get away with this bland a performance when faced with more confident opposition. They did well to play themselves into contention following such a ragged start but, even then, rarely got behind a makeshift Arsenal defence and needed a considerable slice of luck to draw level. That sluggishness owed as much to their more experienced players as to any of their younger brood – even if Mason Mount was among those to have an off day – and it was a player making his first-team debut who gave them added impetus when he arrived for the final half-hour. Tariq Lamptey was a bundle of energy at right-back and his smart bursts forward helped peg Arsenal back; the 19-year-old looks a fine prospect and one who should receive plenty more exposure from here.
Chambers blow highlights Arteta’s transfer priority
It says something for both Calum Chambers and Arsenal that the centre-back’s first-half substitution through what appeared to be a knee injury now looks like such a turning point in the game. Chambers was at least able to reject the option of departing by stretcher but, assuming some sort of absence is inevitable, it highlights Arteta’s number one priority in the transfer window. Amid a sea of mediocrity Chambers has been one of the few Arsenal players whose stock has actually risen this season and he followed a man-of-the-match display against Everton with a fine start here, rising highest in the box to head on for Aubameyang’s opener. A thin set of convincing defensive options has just diminished further and, as Chambers’ replacement Shkodran Mustafi demonstrated when getting nowhere near close enough to Abraham for the winner, enlisting at least one capable new face in their position is now a matter of extreme urgency.
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