Arsenal vs Chelsea

Chelsea Preview: Forget Last Season, This Is About Now

 October 5, 2014 by Yogi's Warrior Posted in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Premier League, Soccer, Transfer Gossip

Randall Flagg has stepped from the pages of fiction and resides comfortably in West London, the ever-faithful Trashcan carrying out his orders without thinking or hesitation.
I always hated the annual trip to Stamford Bridge. Never the most hospitable of venues, the weather was always chill and overcast. It probably wasn’t but it felt that way in the dank surroundings of the open terrace where you were fenced in and monitored more closely than any unfortunate soul held in Stalag 17.
On occasion, I ventured there having landed seats in what was then a ‘new’ stand. Arriving in one piece always felt like an achievement in itself but to be greeted by Sherpa Tenzing, a job lot of crampons, rope and tackle made scaling Everest never inspired confidence. Halfway up, you got to stop for oxygen, a coffee and look out over the underground lines that separated the ground from a cemetery. More often than not, Arsenal’s dreams were buried alongside the denizens of that part of West London.

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Football is a cyclical affair and nothing proves it more than Arsenal record in this corner of the capital. For decades, they could scarcely buy a win at the home of the original franchise football club. When Chelsea were in the top flight, they were Arsenal’s bogey side, exerting a more malevolent grip over the points than United or Liverpool ever could. George Graham’s 1991 side fell to its only league defeat on a dull February afternoon, Alan Smith scoring a consolation having spent most of the afternoon thinking the tide had taken the sea out a long way, contenting himself with his bucket and spade to build sandcastles.
Arsène’s arrival at Arsenal changed that. From 1997 through to 2006, one Premier League defeat in eleven visits to Stamford Bridge, two in thirteen if you extend that record to 2008. Two-goal headstarts didn’t even help Chelsea find a win; they knew how we felt in this fixture. One in four since with little sign of that run ending, certainly while Jose Mourinho remains at the helm. Much was made of Sam Allardyce’s supposed Indian Sign over Wenger but he never got inside the Arsenal manager’s head the way that Mourinho has. Indeed, not even during the bitterness that swamped his rivalry with Ferguson did you suspect that Arsène was being out-thought.
He is and his players are being out-fought on the pitch. Is some of that down to them sensing the managerial weakness in this battle? Received footballing wisdom has it that players pick up early on signals that a managerial reign is coming to an end so it seems unlikely that they would not sense the grip that Mourniho has over Le Professeur.
Following on from last season’s debacle, today would be a good time to end that feeling.
And a more improbable time is hard to imagine. Arsenal are unbeaten, fluctuating between the good and inconsistent.
Chelsea have started well, like Arsenal undefeated in the Premier League. Unlike Arsenal, they have won games hence they sit top of the table. Whilst the media bill and coo over their performances – and there is not point in being churlish, Chelsea have played well at times this season – Manuel Pellegrini summed it up; Chelsea have a small club mentality and parking the bus is not a tactic that I would enjoy watching on a regular basis. Does anyone?
The answer is yes, the denizens of West London do. Bereft of sustained success for a century, Mourinho brought them glory and is forgiven anything. Or most things by most people, just as we overlooked the paucity of flair in Graham’s final couple of seasons with the cup runs distracting the memory from league form and performances.
There are times, particularly in big away matches, when I wish Arsène would take the same pragmatic approach to the game.
Midweek was profitable for both clubs, Arsenal’s more so in terms of confidence and perhaps taking note of the profligacy of Chelsea’s attack. Opportunities may be at a premium this afternoon as I would expect both sides to be determined not to concede. Danny Welbeck’s hat-trick has unsurprisingly garnering a lot of media attention from club and country perspective. As Terry Venables points out in The Independent, this is the type of game that Arsenal need to the striker to excel. Certainly, he has the physical attributes to put the home defence under pressure and I wonder if Mourinho will consider dropping Terry for fear of the damage which could be wrought when his lack of pace is exposed.
It is a lot of pressure on the youngster’s shoulders although there is no reason not to think he cannot handle that aspect of the game. Thinking back to last season’s fixture, it is not hard to wonder what would have happened if Olivier Giroud had not wasted a golden opportunity to give Arsenal the lead. Instead of finding themselves picked off on the counter, Arsenal might have reversed the roles and exposed Chelsea. Ifs and buts, the basis of football. That highlights the need for the full backs to be more conservative in their approach today. Tottenham exposed the Arsenal defence on several occasions last week, their profligacy punished with Oxlade-Chamberlain’s equaliser.

Chelsea (A), Premier League, 5th October 2014 – Expected XI

That and his defensive work is one of the reasons I don’t think Cazorla and Sanchez will play this afternoon from the kick-off. To do so leaves Gibbs and Chambers exposed and I expect Mourinho to target these areas, in simplistic terms at least. Nor would you expect Cazorla to be deployed in the deeper role today unless Jack Wilshere does not pass fitness muster.
Despite recent glowing performances, it is by no means certain Özil will be deployed in the ‘freer’ role that notionally sees him in the centre. It might suit today with the ability to wander to either flank more flexible than starting on the left and drifting inside,

Chelsea (A) – No Alexis

If Arsène does start with the German in a wide role, Alexis Sanchez seems unlikely to start which to me defeats the object of signing him. As much as Danny Welbeck has to rise to the occasions, the Chilean was definitely bought for such matches. And in any case, not only does his exclusion weaken Arsenal, Mourinho’s admiration for Özil is such that he will have plans to nullify the player and leave space that Sanchez can exploit with his pace.
The reality is that this is the only selection headache the manager has; everyone else is injured. As much as I would like Arsenal to hand out a thrashing, the like of which will scar Chelsea for years, I will be more than happy with a scrappy Arsenal victory with a winning goal which deflects in off the referee’s backside. Three points in this match will do more for the squad’s morale than an unbeaten fifteen match run steamrollering the bottom two-thirds of the table.
Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it.
FROM THE VAULTS
This week’s trip down memory lane is from this weekend in 1992, Chelsea’s visit to Arsenal on 3rd October to be precise. It was the Premier League’s first season and one where the decline in George Graham’s reign set in. It probably had the season before but to be honest, I don’t think we really noticed. On the day in question, Arsenal sat in ninth place with just fourteen points from the previous ten games. The previous weekend, Arsenal had won for the first time in five games, beating Manchester City by a single goal at Highbury. City were nowhere near a good side before you get excited.
Arsenal won this match 2 – 1 with a late Ian Wright goal, thanks to Anders Limpar contribution. The Swede was that squad’s Alexis Sanchez, I think, but without the price tag. And a less tolerant manager, judging by Graham’s comments to the press. There are two sides to every story but certainly most supporters I knew, took Limpar’s. It was unfathomable to us why such a gifted player was not played more often. It wasn’t really, he didn’t do the defensive work his manager wanted but we didn’t care. Had he played more often – rather than being a regular substitute – perhaps Arsenal would have finished higher than the tenth place they occupied the following May.
For the record, Chelsea didn’t fare any better; they finished eleventh.