5/10 Arsenal star may have just cost them the title vs Chelsea

And with that, is Arsenal‘s Premier League title problem carried out and dusted? It is a sentence you’d count on to be writing subsequent April or Might, not forward of the third worldwide break of the season in November.

Sadly, reality be advised, the Gunners look out of it. Is that hyperbole contemplating the time of the season we’re in? Fairly presumably.

Nonetheless, the league desk doesn’t lie. Arsenal are 4 factors behind Manchester Metropolis however extra importantly, are 9 behind pace-setters Liverpool.

This wasn’t within the script, was it? The Reds had been meant to battle post-Jurgen Klopp however Arne Slot has engineered the Anfield aspect into the league’s greatest to this point this time period.

Metropolis are in a mini-crisis and the Gunners are stalling, stuttering, panting by means of video games just like the outdated household canine who cannot get off the couch.

They’ve did not win a single league fixture for the reason that final worldwide break, dropping to Bournemouth and Newcastle, whereas drawing with Liverpool and Chelsea. These closing two outcomes are high quality. The opposite two are what’s going to actually price Arsenal come the top of the season.

So, how did it unravel this time?

Arsenal’s greatest performers towards Chelsea

If there was one constructive to take from the sport on Sunday night then it was the efficiency of Martin Odegaard.

The membership captain has been lacking for the reason that first worldwide break of the season with an ankle harm however returned from the sub’s bench towards Inter within the Champions League in midweek.

He was again within the beginning lineup over the weekend and performed all 90 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Chelsea, a recreation the place he was undoubtedly their greatest performer.

How they’ve missed him. Nobody opens doorways fairly like him on this Arsenal aspect. He’s their most inventive and he proved as such at Stamford Bridge with his four key passes greater than the superlative Cole Palmer and greater than anybody on the sector.

It was his magical help that led to the guests’ opener, lofting the ball over the Chelsea defence from out of nowhere. Gabriel Martinelli – who seemed the most certainly to attain of any participant on the pitch – duly did discover the again of the web, selecting up Odegaard’s move and beating Robert Sanchez at his close to submit.

Not a lot may very well be carried out about Pedro Neto’s equaliser from the sting of the field however Arsenal did no less than look extra threatening within the closing third.

On one other day they might have received it. Kai Havertz had a purpose dominated out for offside within the first half following Declan Rice’s sensible free-kick which was an enormous disgrace for the travelling help.

Havertz was additionally on the centre of a late probability that will properly have simply price Arsenal’s title possibilities.

The second that price Arsenal huge time towards Chelsea

In opposition to Newcastle final weekend Mikel Arteta’s aspect seemed bereft of concepts, they seemed toothless and failed to actually create many goalscoring alternatives in any respect.

The identical may very well be stated of their midweek show in Milan the place they had been higher however their probability creation amounted to a succession of crosses – a whopping 46 in total – that in the end got here to nothing.

In opposition to Chelsea it wasn’t fairly that unhealthy, they did no less than create clearer openings. That was largely due to Odegaard.

That stated it was William Saliba who offered a late second when Arsenal might have received the sport. In reality, it was the match’s final kick of the ball earlier than referee Michael Oliver blew for full-time.

Saliba discovered himself on the left of the penalty space and slid a ball throughout the field. Havertz was ready, Havertz was about to faucet the ball into an empty internet to win the sport. But, enter Leandro Trossard, a person who has already price the Londoners on loads of events this time period.

He slid in forward of Havertz and clipped the ball simply large of the submit. That was the second however it went begging.

That is perhaps fairly harsh on the Belgian however he hasn’t carried out an excessive amount of proper this season, notably being the one who was despatched off within the 2-2 draw on the Etihad and the person whose horrible move led to Saliba’s purple card towards Bournemouth.

Trossard – who picked up a 5/10 rating courtesy of GOAL and registered fewer touches than goalkeeper David Raya – did threaten when he got here off the bench on this event however it was one other poor afternoon for the winger. With Martinelli having been Arsenal’s goalscorer, he’ll now must accept an everyday spot on the bench.

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