The Technical Area…Drogba Gives Arsene the Blues
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.
About the Author
Sir Paulos is certain he won't make the same mistakes next season.
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) ??
Seems the right line up to me.
so o’hara over milner then??
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.
Thanks, thought I was alone in thinking so !!
Which 2 to bench out of Milner, Dunne and Muamba?
I would say Muamba
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!
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..
id play dunne over nani for sure
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.
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
I am thinking about your suggestion…I’m hoping Man United win, obviously.
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.
same here…I haven’t still forgotten Dunne played a decade @ Citeh…
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.
Milner/Dunne instead of O’hara you reckon??
Well, do you really think that Pompey will prevail in this game? I might lean to Milner, but it’s a hard choice.
Time for a coin toss then !! Thanks anyways…:)
no, play o hara
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…
Shoulda woulda coulda.
Don’t sweat it.
If i was you, i would completely forget that had ever happened.
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.
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.
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.
So, who to transfer in for G. CAHILL then?
Gonna be a 4 point hit. I already have Sorensen and Shawcross…
Any ideas chaps?
Defender from Wigan, because of DGW.
But I am not sure either.
Is it worth a 4 point hit?
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
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.
Blackburn have a good fixture. Emerton is 4.9 (same as Cahill?) and is playing in Midfield so good chance of Assists or Goal.
Petrov? Wright-Phillips? Johnson? Ireland? Who will get the nod?
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.