Tonight’s match between Chelsea and Arsenal saw the Blues play defensively in the first half and then attack in the second half.
“Drap on the right. 5-4-1 out of possession. Chelsea’s plan seemed to be to keep the score at 0-0 and then eventually go on to win in the final 20 minutes,” Sky Sports’ Joe Shedd wrote.
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“The expected goals of 0.68 told its own story. They were still trying to get the ball into the box in the 97th minute. You could say it was a defensive masterclass from Chelsea until Havertz scored. But they needed to win by two goals.
“What Ronniol did was strange.”
Paul Merson, one of the studio’s experts, had a similar view:
“I was stunned. I couldn’t believe what I just saw. Chelsea are not a team in the bottom five. They have a World Cup winner,” Merson said.
“Fofana is crying. He should be crying because they never had a chance. They went out with a whimper in the semi-final. It didn’t work out. Go out with glory, don’t go out like this.”
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Ronniol’s plan failed
Cole Palmer’s free kick hit the wall. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
We have some disagreements about ideals. In the end, it did seem like an overly ambitious plan. But it’s easy to become wiser afterwards. It was all going to plan when the home side looked nervous at the end of the first half and the crowd grew nervous. It just needed a more decisive offensive shift.
In other news…
Chelsea’s defense was very intense in the first half, but Joao Pedro still performed well in driving and controlling the ball up front.
Reece James’ absence from this game raises a lot of questions, and we’re sure Liam Ronnie Orr will be asked them after the full game as well. Athletes say it’s just a matter of rest.
