Gabriel’s second half goal was enough to send imperious Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League, sweeping aside a lame Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 win over the Blues.
Gabriel Magalhaes stabbed home on the goal line from a scrappy corner during the second half to earn Arsenal a well deserved third consecutive victory at Stamford Bridge, as well as handing Graham Potter’s side a second consecutive defeat in the league.
Arsenal started the first half in the ascendancy, shutting Chelsea down with an aggressive high press and working the ball nicely in tight areas, dominating the ball.
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Gabriel Martinelli and Ben White both had early sighters which flew wide of Edouard Mendy’s goal, with Thiago Silva doing well to block a goal bound Gabriel Jesus effort too.
For all of their possession, Arsenal only managed to create one meaningful chance in the first half, which Gabriel Jesus wasted. A wonderful team move was worked to Martinelli on the left hand side, who whipped in a cross for his Brazilian compatriot Jesus, who was unable to get a clean contact on his header, flicking wide of the post from close range with the goal gaping.
Although the game on the pitch remained uneventful, that didn’t stop things heating up on the benches, with Arteta and Potter becoming agitated with each other over a potential Bukayo Saka dive.
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The second half started as the first ended, with Arsenal in control. It felt like a matter of time before the Gunners would break the deadlock, with the pressure finally telling in the 63rd minute.
An Arsenal corner from the right was whipped into the near post into a sea of Chelsea players which somehow none of them managed to clear, before Gabriel Magalhaes seized on the opportunity poking home on the line to give his side a deserved lead.
Arsenal continued to dominate the match, not allowing Chelsea any meaningful chances as they saw out the match comfortably and moved to the summit of the Premier League again.
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Here is what Absolute Chelsea learned from the defeat against Arsenal
1) Quiet game for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
With much of the build up to the game focused on ex-Arsenal captain Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, the striker would have hoped to put in a match winning performance for his new side. Aubameyang's only meaningful contribution in the game was to put in a late lunge on Ben White, which earned himself a booking and caught the ire of his former boss Mikel Arteta who was right in front of the challenge. A poor team performance meant Aubameyang was not afforded the opportunities he would have liked, and was subbed off after the opener.
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2) Chelsea disjointed in attack
After a morale-boosting victory against Dinamo Zagreb midweek, Graham Potter would have hoped his side could bring some of that attacking verve against Arsenal, however it was nowhere to be seen. Some tenacious Arsenal pressing meant Chelsea were forced to go long in their attack, as they struggled to string together any sort of passing move. The attack was so poor I cannot think of any proper chances Chelsea missed despite Kai Havertz’s half baked poke at Ramsdale during the first half.
3) Injuries affecting Chelsea
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One of the few excuses Chelsea can fairly use for their poor showing at Stamford Bridge, is their growing injury list which is clearly now beginning to impact performances. Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, N’Golo Kante and Kepa Arrizabalaga all likely would have started today if they were fit, whilst Mateo Kovacic was only allowed limited minutes from the bench as the club nurse his ongoing issues. In contrast Arsenal were able to start the match with their strongest side on paper with the swift return of Bukayo Saka from injury. Chelsea certainly boast a stronger squad and should be able perform better, yet the ever growing injury list is certainly making life more difficult for Graham Potter.
4) Poor display from Kai Havertz
Another poor attacking display came courtesy of Kai Havertz. On a day where Chelsea’s forwards were not afforded many openings, Havertz managed to waste the only two which fell his way when the scores were level. Played in down the right twice, Havertz first shanked a cross over with Mount and Aubameyang free in the box, before poking a very unconvincing effort at Aaron Ramsdale, where a bit more gusto could have led to a goal. Havertz was also partly responsible for the Arsenal opener, sticking out an unconvincing leg on the near post as the ball flew past him en-route to the back of the net.
5) Arsenal showing why they are Premier League Leaders and not Chelsea
As poor as Chelsea were, Arsenal were equally as good. Although not incredibly flashy in attack, Mikel Arteta’s side completely dominated the match in every part of the game. Chelsea were unable to create any meaningful chances due to Arsenal’s relentless pressing and they were very neat in possession too. An imperious performance from the Gunners, showcasing why they are light years ahead of Chelsea at this moment, and maybe an indicator to Blues fans of what can happen when you give a manager some time. Chelsea are in transition, Arsenal are not, and that was very obvious today.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, Arsenal, Premier League, Football