What did Arsenal v Chelsea teach us?


Finally, Arsene Wenger has managed to beat Jose Mourinho. Are the floodgates now open? Can we expect Arsenal to run away with the title? Well no, not yet. It was a hard fought game with all the fire power and fury of a Premier League match but what did it teach us about the two teams for the coming season?

Arsenal supporters are deluded:
Yep, you heard me. Of course this is a generalisation on the more vocal supporters but they think that this is the Arsenal team that will finally earn them the Premier League title. While this team is capable, particularly if Walcott and Chamberlin maintain and even improve their form, the Community Shield is not an admission for winning the title. Arsenal proved that last season when they beat Manchester City and then finished the league below them.

But Arsenal do have what it takes:
Despite the deluded statements about Arsenal supporters, Arsenal have proved they have what it takes to beat the big teams. They do look like they are improving and learning from their mistakes. However, it is not all plain sailing, Chelsea had two very good opportunities to score and Arsenal's good opportunities didn't come until the end of the game when it had opened up. Plus they are yet to be ravaged by injuries. Although, they didn't create a host of chances while the game was even, the best teams are about quality and their goal was full of quality and they went on to defend that lead showing that they do have what it takes when the pressure is on. 

Chelsea need to improve:
I think so anyway. Again, I re-iterate that Chelsea had two great chances, The Ramires header and the Hazard one on one, but they lack a cutting edge in these games. They will still be strong and their cutting edge looks sharper against the weaker teams. They then go on to frustrate the top teams which allows them to pick up points and win titles. This is the Chelsea way and it does work but as I say so often, it means they are not up there with Europe's elite and if they don't improve from last season then the other teams will, as Arsenal have shown, and Chelsea may begin to struggle in these clashes. 

Cech can make the difference:
Based on that performance, Cech really could make the difference for Arsenal. Having a fully fit squad makes Arsenal a bigger threat but Cech nullified Chelsea's aerial presence and made the one save from Oscar's free kick that not many Goal Keepers would make. He will instil confidence into his defenders and arguably yesterday he was the difference. If this is a feature of the season then perhaps Cech will prove to be the signing of the season. 


The Strikers:
Giroud has a point to prove and looks like he is proving every time he gets on the pitch. He is better at holding up the ball than Walcott and his runs in the box are more intelligent. He may lack his pace but he is the better all round striker in my opinion. Remy was disappointing as he got caught offside too often and while Falco looked a little sharper than usual, he ended up causing little to no-threat to Arsenal's goal. With Costa out Chelsea will need him to find his best form if they want to compete. 

No love loss between the managers:
Finally, the two managers are continuing to argue like teenagers. Why Arsene Wenger wouldn't want to shake Mourinho's hand after beating him I don't know but we didn't really expect these two to start getting on did we? 


What did you think? Let me know
Twitter: @Jonny_Troy
Email: Jonathanptroy@gmail.com




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