Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal: Notebook

My notes from watching live and a rewatch

Pre-match:

We get the first-choice front 3 starting for the first time. That is exciting

Havertz on the bench, Jorginho starts. I think that is the right balance here. I know some are using this as a stick to beat Havertz but I think it is absolutely the right call and one that unless things went really perfect with his adaption he wouldn't be starting against.

He's for me a guy that is a tool for games where the midfield is less in contention, where we need to create overloads in the final third. Here I think that is less what we have.

Also interesting, Vieira doesn't make the bench, with ESR taking his spot.

Chelsea going with either Sterling or Palmer at 9. Mudryk starts (feels like him scoring is already written).

I feel pretty confident here but Chelsea are still a sneaky good and talented team.

1st half

1' Ball over the top targeting Zinchenko finds Sterling and Arsenal already in some trouble

2' Bad giveaway from Zinchenko. Got beat over the top by Sterling too. A warning sign. Arsenal get away with it

Takes a good block from White to stop Gallagher's shot after the scramble. Enzo's shots goes clear over the bar.

3' Rice loses it.  Horrible back pass.

Arsenal look rattled.

3' Trying to play out, but Raya goes long to Jesus and he is isolated, you expect Silva to win that one every time. Not great so far.

Alright building into it. Starting to string passes together now.

4' This is on rewatch, people after the match were looking for Jorginho to be more progressive and give more over the top. This is obviously early in the match and there just aren't options for him. He finds a pocket of space, gets his head up, and no movement in front of him (saka is stumbling here but also pulls up on his run)

5' Saka vs Cucurella is going to be one we want to win, first battle goes to the blue

Cucurella should be in trouble here (where is the support by the way) but does excellent to not let Saka get any momentum inside. Ends up with Saka fouling him.

6' Cucurella gets the better of Saka again (this one looks closer to a foul). Jorginho makes a nice little recovery run to take the ball off Mudryk.

7' Another ball targeting Zinchenko behind to Sterling.

His cutback isn't good and is cleared by Rice.

Oof, Jesus on the back of the foot there. Palmer gets a yellow. He earned it.

9' Cucurella wins against Saka again. He's not getting a sniff at all.

9' Gabriel with a very nice pass into Martinelli, running into space and it feels like Arsenal are timid to get players forward. It is 4 on 8.

Ends with Martinelli losing it as he tries to get past Gallagher.

Chelsea is surrounding the ref, begging for a yellow. He lets it go. I thought this wasn't supposed to be allowed anymore?

10' Arsenal given a gift with a Colwill miskick.

Can't generate anything from this situation. Odegaard tries to cut inside looking for his shot instead of setting up the teammate. Arsenal had Rice arriving back post.

Seemed like he already had his mind made up to look shot and not pass after run from Saka cleared space.

10' Saka loses it again to Cucurella, took the touch and slowed it down to post. Losing it there is tough because White is coming to overlap and now Gallagher is running at Jorginho. Zinchenko comes ends up taking a yellow to slow it down (all the way on the right)

11' Chelsea is surrounding the ref like mad again. They want a handball. Not sure on live what happened and haven't see the review yet.

Shit going to monitor.

Fuck, who knows because it is handball. It hits his hand, it is out from his body and above the shoulder. I think this is a tough one but probably a penalty with the rules. Really tough given the distance that it travels. And it is called a penalty.

They did see on coms about "on target" but replay looked like it was going wide.

0-1 Palmer converts. Rolls it into the corner with Raya going the wrong way.

17' Cucurella gets the better of Saka again, forcing him out of bounds as he tries to get past him. (also caught a piece of him after the fact)

18' Jorginho has a nice little touch to get away from Gallagher, draws a foul. A couple (well maybe 10) he is able to step away but doesn't have that speed anymore.

19' Jorginho has a bad pass out to White. Just completely overhits it. Not a lot of anything since the goal. Still no shots from Arsenal in the opening 19. A few sort of moments, but just one touch in the box off of a mistake. Creating nothing from passing or pressing.

19' Rice does make a good run into the channel, found by Zinchenko. Tries an outside of the boot cross/shot (as a cross in the event data). Goes just wide. A good passage of play for the first time. Jorginho to Zinchenko, Zinchenko to Rice. All quick vertical passes through Chelsea. Best moment so far.

Perhaps harsh but could Rice have played that in sooner? He takes an extra touch and the space is gone and the pass is much harder.

22' Rice doing well right now. Earns a corner.

23' Raya out to touch. Just totally sliced.

24' ODEGAARD has a chance to feed it in and just mess up totally. Ah man. Arsenal finally get something from the press, and Odegaard totally blows it.

It isn't wide open or anything but from this position, I hope he is able to find something better than a way overhit pass. Silva is a bit of a lucky boy, goes in two-footed on Martinelli in the lead-up to it.

25' Nice pass over the top from Jorginho finds Jesus. Chelsea keeper got caught in no mans land but Arsenal can't punish them. Arsenal starting to build some pressure.

26' White finds Jesus in a good spot, tough back to goal turn, and shot

Maybe holdup and pass to Odegaard was the best choice, tries to turn and shoot.

27' Chelsea get a break, Jorginho does well to slow down Sterling with a tackle. Martinelli chases back and gets Gusto. Ends up fouling him tho. 

29' Gallagher into space through the middle, nice pass into Palmer who goes just wide. Where was the midfield there? The camera was close on Chelsea players so I didn't see re-start but Arsenal's shape is all sorts of bad here

Where is Rice? Why is he so far up the field? Jorginho too easy to get past, trying to jump a pass that is never coming.

That is a very good reverse ball, I think everyone thought he was going wide and he gets his foot around it and finds Palmer. I have been impressed with Gallagher here.

34' Final third stuff still not good for Arsenal. It is good play from Jorginho, Saka, Odegaard to get the ball quickly through but it gets to white and it stops. His switch is too high and Chelsea are easily able to deal with it. Just off.

31' Raya another ball out. Not his day passing so far

33' That's a better pass from Raya, out to White in space. White heavy touch loses it but better from Raya

35' Jorginho again doing a lot to add verticality to the buildup. Nice little move and finds Zinchenko whose 1-2 attempt is cut out. Very impressed with the strength of Enzo to hold off players here, rides several tackles.

37' Almost another chance to break, Jesus blocks the pass, falls to Odegaard but his first-time ball is a bit behind Jesus who can't control it. Could have been a 2 on 2 situation.

38'  Zinchenko tries a back heel can't find Martinelli. I like the idea. Starts again from a good long switch from Jorginho, he's been the only player going vertical.

Final 10 minutes of the half, need to do something here to build confidence. Not looking good at all.

40' off again on the movement and pass. Odegaard misplays it again. Starts again with Jorginho playing a nice pass into the space.

Where is Odegaard going with this pass? No one is making the run he is passing for.

44' Sterling turns Zinchenko on the half. So easy. Falls to Gusto who shoots over. More dangerous than anything Arsenal have done so far. Palmer drops deep, sucking Gabriel up. Great flick to Sterling and that's too easy from Zinchenko but he can't foul because he is on a yellow already.

Sterling has been very dangerous. Giving Zinchenko fits.

44' Zinchenko and Jesus combine nicely with give and go, earning

Silva a yellow for blocking Jesus as he tries to get past him. That would have been a very dangerous moment.

Half time

Not good.

Saka can't win his matchup

Zinchenko getting cooked.

Odegaard off on his passing.

Rice not giving the stability in the middle