The Technical Area…Drogba Gives Arsene the Blues

by SIR PAULOS on February 8

Didier Drogba’s penchant for Wenger-bashing continued yesterday as his double sent Chelsea back to the top of the Premiership. For the second week in a row Arsenal were downed by a big-name rival in a critical game that has consequently all but ended the Gunners title hopes this season. Here’s some key areas in the game…

Possession Means Nothing

It’s all good and well having the ball, but as Phil Brown recently remarked, Chelsea’s Achilles heel is defending set-pieces. Arsenal has so much possession yesterday, but with Ancelotti’s team so organised, done nothing with it.

This chalkboard comparison says it all, really; Hull identified the Blues weakness and came away with a draw, despite making less than half the amount of passes than Arsenal yesterday.

Big Men, Little Men

Once ahead, Chelsea’s defending always had a sense of surety about it, as a combination of their sheer physical size and experience meant the Gunners huffed and puffed without ever going anywhere. As these chalkboards show, Chelsea had to make twice the number of clearances as Arsenal, and double the number of interceptions (almost all within their defensive third of the pitch), but this was more an exercise in containment, as opposed to a team under siege.

Mikel Immaculate

Chelsea’s returning African contingent may well have saw Drogba grab the headlines, but yesterday, John Obi Mikel slotted seamlessly back into the side with the minimum of fuss. With Arsenal’s width up front stifling the attacking nature of Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic from full back areas, more of the Blues play went through the middle, and, sitting in front of the back four, Mikel (as this chalkboard shows) saw more of the ball than anyone else in Ancelotti’s team, with only two stray passes all afternoon.

As this chalkboard, Mikel also won all his tackles and made five vital interceptions around the penalty area, as a disciplined performance added steel to the Chelsea midfield, helping repel Arsenal time and again.

Déjà Vu (Again)

A failure to deal with a fast breakway, an inability to close down opponents, and the ball ends up in the back of the net. Sound familiar?

Man Utd’s second goal at the Emirates last week mirrored last season’s Champions League semi at the same ground, and yesterday, the same scenario ensued, as Chelsea broke from their own penalty box, Lampard fed Drogba, and the big man turn the Gunners defence inside out before “battering” (to use a fellow-Scot’s phrase) the ball beyond Almunia.

This, on top of Arsenal’s poor defending on the first Drogba goal, highlighted a naivety that, time and again, is being taken advantage of by quality opponents. Lesser opposition, perhaps, let them get away with it, but top class strikers like Drogba and Wayne Rooney punish Wenger‘s side when it really matters.

Post-match, the Arsenal boss stressed he felt his side were the better team, and warned “we will fight till the last day of the season.” With Arsenal hosting Liverpool this midweek knowing a win would take their visitors to within two points of the Gunners in third place, the battle is very much on.

{ 934 comments }

BrimFiller February 8 at 2:25 pm

opinions please
I have 2 free transfers and was thinking:

1. Milner & Sturridge out for Etherington & Adebayor/Tevez in

2. Bowyer & Sturridge out for Etherington & Rodallega in

Leaning towards numero 1… Also any thoughts on Adebayor v Tezez?

And I know, I know: Sturridge. Gambled and lost on that one.

team as is:
Sorensen / Jensen
Evra Ivanovic Scharner Shawcross Carr
Bowyer N’Nogbia Duff Fabregas Milner
Sturridge Rooney Drogba

Johnny Unitas February 8 at 2:35 pm

Well Bowyer’s attacking points have well and truly dried up, and his output will be further affected if Phillips starts getting games as he will be doing more of the attacking from CAM position. Milner on the other hand has tough fixtures and Villa simply can’t score (or concede for that matter! bloody Dunne!), I would go for (1) due to Villa’s missing GW’s upcoming and their tricky fixtures up till then, a little too much to be paying for a player who is only getting you 3 points every week at the moment, and then Tevez over Adebayor for me

SuperDorrans February 8 at 2:26 pm

Anybody captaining N’Zogbia here?

mo February 8 at 2:27 pm

toss up between him and ade for me at mo

mo February 8 at 2:27 pm

How is this looking guys?

Sorenson (Hart)
ACole, Evra, Bale (Evans (1)) (Garrido (2))
Lamps, Fabs, Tuncay, Nzogbia (Gera (3))
Tevez, Adeybey (c), Rodders

Cesc Machine February 8 at 2:30 pm

If you cant play Garrido for a dgw why have him??

mo February 8 at 2:35 pm

i brought him in for that reason afew weeks back but then bridge came back on the scene.

So you would start him over who? And for the possibility of playing 5 mins a game to replace bridge? Am i correct in thinking that he needs to play 60 mins for clean sheet points?

Would be interested to know who would start him on this site consdiering the team I have for the gameweek.

Thanks
Mo

number9 February 8 at 2:30 pm

got to field three of,

Evra, Collins, Ivanovic, Dann

and Collinson, OHara

Two must be defenders, what do people reckon?

Cesc Machine February 8 at 2:31 pm

Dann, Evra, Collison

Johnny Unitas February 8 at 2:31 pm

Evra (for potential assists)/Ivan (for potential goal/assists) and O’Hara because he actually played okay at OT at the weekend, with Boateng our potentially O’Hara will be of even greater significance to Portsmouth

Johnny Unitas February 8 at 2:30 pm

After hearing Johnson will start for City am I mad to be considering him? what is his best position and will he play there? Just thinking that hardly anyone will have him and could be a good differential to have

Alan Partridge February 8 at 2:32 pm

I was thinking the same thing Johnny. Chickened out in the end, but if you take the plunge i hope it pays off.

Johnny Unitas February 8 at 2:32 pm

who did you chicken out for AP?

Alan Partridge February 8 at 2:52 pm

It was either Johnson or make a few transfers and get the drog back in. He did so well for me early in the season, and after that brace, i couldn’t refuse.

StevieWall February 8 at 2:30 pm

Who do you rate as the best defender, 4.8 or under, for next gameweek?

Cesc Machine February 8 at 2:31 pm

Olsson???

BrimFiller February 8 at 2:32 pm

Huth

lawman February 8 at 2:33 pm

Hughes for a non-dgw
Caldwell for DGW

StevieWall February 8 at 2:38 pm

I like the caldwell shout – thanks guys.

mo February 8 at 2:37 pm

shorey for the next month or so

StevieWall February 8 at 2:40 pm

great shout – cheers.

lawman February 8 at 2:31 pm

Had this discussion earlier, but just wanted a few other opinions as there have been varied views so far.

2 to play of Dawson, Hughes, Nelsen, Ivanovic.

Leaning towards Hughes & Dawson.

Johnny Unitas February 8 at 2:32 pm

I would go for those two also

Warky Talky February 8 at 2:32 pm

those are the 2 i’d pick

lawman February 8 at 2:37 pm

Cheers Guys

viper006 February 8 at 2:34 pm

guys, any1 tink that drogba will rise again tonight???

lawman February 8 at 2:37 pm

Doubtful for tonight.

Johnny Unitas February 8 at 2:37 pm

Highly unlikely, on 42% on Fantasytools, needs 20-25,000 more transfers in, if it is matter of not being able to afford him because of the .1 rise (potential .1 rise I should say), then go for it, if not you should be safe enough at the moment anyway

viper006 February 8 at 2:42 pm

thanks lads..i have risky move im leaving him out for adebayor insetad and now have tevez-adebayor(c)-rooney and want to make sure both mancity playin 2mrw night bwfore i make my 2nd change..im not ruling out bringin drobs in for either of them if they not playin 180mins

RoysBrotherJohnson February 8 at 2:51 pm

he could well go up with everyone checking their teams in work today

Boss Hogg February 8 at 2:35 pm

Three positions up for grabs in my team this week.
Who should I play?

a.) Defence: Ivanovic or Evra?
b.) Midfield/Forward (2 of) Anelak, Kuyt or Arshavin?

Thanks

Warky Talky February 8 at 2:36 pm

Any Wigan fans (!) out there?

Barring injury is young James McCarthy likely to start both prem games this week? Worried that Moses, Moreno might threaten his starting place?

Cheers

deovrat February 8 at 2:40 pm

Posted before but lost :
Guys is this line-up & order of subs look right?? I am saving my transfer.
Given
Evra Bramble ShawX
Fabregas Duff N’zogbia O’hara
Rooney Tevez(c) Drogba
Subs: Milner, Dunne, Mears

Am I being throwing caution to the winds by selecting O’hara(SUN@home) over Milner(MUN@home) ??

lawman February 8 at 2:40 pm

Seems the right line up to me.

deovrat February 8 at 2:43 pm

so o’hara over milner then??

lawman February 8 at 2:46 pm

I think so, if Pompey do anything (Very possible) O’Hara should be the centre of it. Cant see Milner doing much to be honest.

deovrat February 8 at 2:49 pm

Thanks, thought I was alone in thinking so !!

jakemu February 8 at 2:44 pm

Which 2 to bench out of Milner, Dunne and Muamba?

deovrat February 8 at 2:45 pm

I would say Muamba

IcyNorth February 8 at 2:45 pm

I’m beginning to hate double gws!

Have I got my subs right?

Sorensen
Evra Dawson(TH) Bramble
Fabregas N’Zogbia Duff Nani
Rooney Tevez© Drogba

Subs: Hart RJohnson Dunne Eagles

I’m thinking of not making any transfers this week. However, if you think I should, any suggestions appreciated. Thanks!

deovrat February 8 at 2:48 pm

Nearly same lineups Icynorth…
I would say all right line up & subs, but then I wouldn’t give suggestions to a person much higher than me.
Will you care to reply on my post 2 posts above?? nearly same conditions..

RoysBrotherJohnson February 8 at 2:51 pm

id play dunne over nani for sure

deovrat February 8 at 2:53 pm

really?? I would have thought Dunne will be hard pressed to get 2 points against united. But then, it might be another of my worse hunches.

RoysBrotherJohnson February 8 at 2:55 pm

even if villa concede, he could either score, get bp if they win, or swallow rafael or gary neville whole of he breaths in deeply in their vicinity. all reason to play him i feel

IcyNorth February 8 at 3:06 pm

I am thinking about your suggestion…I’m hoping Man United win, obviously.

IcyNorth February 8 at 2:55 pm

My opinion on Nani v Dunne is clouded by my support of Man United. I know, I know, no room for personal sentiment in fantasy football.

deovrat February 8 at 3:00 pm

same here…I haven’t still forgotten Dunne played a decade @ Citeh…

IcyNorth February 8 at 3:04 pm

Sorry, called to phone. This is what happens when you sneak away for a fantasy epl hit. Deovrat, your line-up looks good to me … even though I have a bit of a problem with ohara.

deovrat February 8 at 3:05 pm

Milner/Dunne instead of O’hara you reckon??

IcyNorth February 8 at 3:09 pm

Well, do you really think that Pompey will prevail in this game? I might lean to Milner, but it’s a hard choice.

deovrat February 8 at 3:11 pm

Time for a coin toss then !! Thanks anyways…:)

RoysBrotherJohnson February 8 at 3:17 pm

no, play o hara

RoysBrotherJohnson February 8 at 2:54 pm

i do the fantasy rugby and i had all three first tryscorers at the weekend. i looked at their odds too. had i put a tenner on the treble of heaslip haskell and bastareaud, id be sitting on over 25 grand right now …

doesnt bear ruminating on…

Alan Partridge February 8 at 2:55 pm

Shoulda woulda coulda.

Don’t sweat it.

lawman February 8 at 2:55 pm

If i was you, i would completely forget that had ever happened.

dbronaldo February 8 at 3:23 pm

at least u had those 3, i took out heaslip friday , picked jaurzion instead of bastereaud and picked moody instead of haskel…….shoulda/ woulda…..etc.

JoeWasEre February 8 at 2:58 pm

This write-up is a bit harsh on Arsenal, I think.

Rooney and Drogba can score against anyone, and Arsenal had plenty of chances in both the Man United game and the Chelsea game, even without van Persie.

3-1 and 2-0 seem like convincing victories, but it could easily have been 3-3 and 2-2 if Arsenal’s chances went the right side of the post.

deovrat February 8 at 3:02 pm

Thats true, but both United & Chelsea also had chances that went the wrong side of the post. If they had taken all chances, the scoreline would have been 4-0 or 5-1, like that. But thats beside the point.
The main thing is their superiority over Arsenal in the crucial moments.

Commander Makara February 8 at 4:07 pm

So, who to transfer in for G. CAHILL then?
Gonna be a 4 point hit. I already have Sorensen and Shawcross…
Any ideas chaps?

Assmanus February 8 at 4:08 pm

Defender from Wigan, because of DGW.
But I am not sure either. :P

Commander Makara February 8 at 4:53 pm

Is it worth a 4 point hit?

Assmanus February 8 at 6:25 pm

Cahill is out for rest of the season.
You should at least make the transer to a DWG-player, and at my point i would shoose someone from Wigan. They have 2 home-games, and i think their defenders will make at least 4 points each. If you are lucky u get CS on both matches and 12 points ;)

DO IT :D

Assmanus February 8 at 4:07 pm

Given (Hart)
Ivanovic, Nelsen, Ridgewell, (Insua, Cahill)
Lampard, Fabregas, N’Zog, Lee (Eagles)
Rooney, Jerome, Tevez’

1. What do you think?

2. Have free transer left, and the obvious choice is Cahill out.
Many people have the problem with Cahill, and a was wondering wich defender you guys would choose as replacement? have 0 funds in bank.

Shark Dude February 8 at 4:30 pm

Blackburn have a good fixture. Emerton is 4.9 (same as Cahill?) and is playing in Midfield so good chance of Assists or Goal.

BobB February 9 at 9:41 am

Petrov? Wright-Phillips? Johnson? Ireland? Who will get the nod?

BobB February 9 at 11:39 am

Is it really wise to have both Drog and Rooney for the run-in? Both their fixtures after GW30 are stiff, and Champions’ League resumes so possibly of injury or even conceivably rotation.

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post: