Arsenal vs Chelsea: Team line-ups, half-time thoughts and match chat
The Game
This time last year we faced Chelsea away from home and Robin van Persie helped us to achieve a memorable win. This year we face them at the Emirates first and the Dutchman will not play as he’s ruled out for five months. It’s a shame, it’s a big miss for the team but I believe those who will go out there can do the trick, provided they give it all, from start to finish.
If you want, please do join the discussion in our comments section which will also be active when the game kicks-off. For those who don’t know where to watch the game, maybe we can help, follow this link for streaming options.
The Line-Ups
Arsenal
Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Fabregas, Song Billong, Denilson, Nasri, Eduardo, Arshavin
Subs: Fabianski, Rosicky, Vela, Walcott, Ramsey, Silvestre, Eboue
Chelsea
Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Mikel, Essien, Lampard, Joe Cole, Anelka, Drogba
Subs: Hilario, Ballack, Malouda, Zhirkov, Paulo Ferreira, Deco, Kalou
Half-Time Thoughts and Analysis
Some things just never change and watching Arsenal’s midfield being outpowered by Chelsea’s is so much a reminder of last season’s lost F.A. Cup semi-final.
We started brightly, kept on playing nice football, but when there’s no end product, it does happen that you go at half time losing the game by two goals to nil. Up front, Eduardo is just not good or maybe fit enough to do all the work by himself, a Bendtner would have been good for such a job, but not the Croatian.
Cesc Fabregas and Andrey Arshavin, two who are supposed to bring experience to the side, have been very anonymous, too little to show and Samir Nasri, on the other side of the wing, didn’t see enough of the ball, even though he seems to be the best one of the three today.
There was also a bit of bad luck in the two conceded goals, although one has to wonder why Denilson did absolutely nothing to challenge or even foul John Terry in the move which led to the first goal.
Not much to add. Substitutions are needed.
At half time, it’s Arsenal nil, Chelsea two.
![[Video] Blackburn vs Arsenal highlights: Big win as we go second in the table!](http://www.thegunninghawk.com/wp-content/themes/arthemia-premium/scripts/timthumb.php?src=/wp-content/uploads/video.jpg&w=80&h=80&zc=1)
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Comments section now open.
What more can I say?Herbert,u hit the nail I await on the head.it’s going to be anotherpainful season for us.I await the excuses from those that refuse to see the light.
That was a sh*t performance. Everyone was crap. Substitutes didn’t help at all. We needed Diaby and Bentdner for this game. We couldn’t win a f*ing header.
Chelsea didn’t play a good game but they took full advantage of their chances. Today I was mostly disappointed by Arshavin. I think he should be benched to clear up his mind.
arshavin not helping at all
its too late to put vela
walcott too
vermaelen own goal is not his mistake,its gallas.
too many cross but no one is there to header
eduardo once again proved that he is not capable on going 1 on 1 with keeper
denilson is good sagna is good traore did a good job but quite slow
thank u wenger for a poor game,
interesting in the 1st half but yet concede a goal
midfield no problem
feb is awesome.doing great passes
Denilson is good? In what? In giving Terry, a defender, all the space in the world in the move which led to the first goal?
Or giving the ball to Chelsea players seven, read SEVEN times in midfield?
i think he did a got jod rather than than what arshavin did today
at least he is nothing to do with all of that goal
denilson better than arshavin no way he was the most dangerous arsenal player, he didnt do too bad denilson had a shocker
SOUNDS LYKE U MISS DIABY OHOHO
2nd goal in the first half was bad luck. Cashley Mole hit both crosses for the first 2 – ************
Unfortunately we were out muscled by Chelscum around the pitch in the first half.
When they got their 2 goal lead Ancelloti just told them to sit back which they did, and they soaked up all pressure, not that we gave them much in the 2nd half.
Up to the last 1/4 of the pitch it was alright in the second half, but in that last most important quarter absolutely nothing was created.
Walcott should have had a pop, so should a few others from outside the box.
Our team lacks a certain grit, and we miss a target / hitman upfront big time. All we have is support type strikers at the moment.
Wish we had a few (only 1 or 2) mature heads in the team, who added height and strength to the team.
Was it me or did Chelsea look physically stronger than us!!??
Think the league is Chelscums to lose now – sad to say.
We have an outside chance if we bounce back and get to winning ways, but that means dropping no more points, like in Manchester and West Ham. If we had the 5 points from those games this loss wouldn’t have hurt so much.
Hope remains, though now somewhat faded. I think the team needs a fine tuning, nothing major….but we’re not fully there yet…….
Even at full strength it would be difficult for us to beat an in form chelsea, they are simply better, that however does not imply they are certain to win the league, though they must be considered favourites. Walcott, blessed with all that pace not once made it to the byline to put in a cross, he wants to play centre forward but refuses to take on a man. Edu and Vela both had zero shots on goal? For all our attacking midfielders I think we had one shot from cesc from midfield, cech was never troubled. We started brightly but they just got stronger as the game went on. We didn’t commit forward in numbers wary as we were of their counter-attacking. How much space did we give them? In short, an underpowered Arsenal overpowered once again.
we dont have a finisher!finisher!finisher!
thats why!!!!
how i miss Rvp
We were just totally flattened, the guys are not strong enough or good enough. Key players like Arsharvin has not managed to preform at the level we want them to. All you can do is give cred to Chelsea for doing what we cannot, take advantage of our chances and get the ball in the net.
We are even behind Tottenham now! When did that last happen? Lets now concentrate on staying in top 4 and give support to the boys. Thats is really all we can do and hope we dont have a collapse like last year.
Thanks One ede, but
There is some people here who still believe the IMPOSSIBLE…
Chelsea showed us that we are just, and I stress JUST a top 4 team…
Arsene Wenger totally forgot how he won so many titles and why we were the “invincible”…
We had a team of strong characters,emotionally and physically… Skilled and able to track back…
What do we have now: a team of skilled players,no physical presence all over the pitch and based on the first 2 goals,a team unable to track back…!!!
We have to wake up and Arsene Wenger too… Arsenal is at a breaking point and if something is not done quickly it’s going to be worse…
WE DO NOT HAVE THE SQUAD TO ACHIEVE TITLES POTENTIAL… Simple as that!
If you have not seen it yet,you need to leave dream land and come back to reality…
Chelsea will be champion unless Man U does something incredible,and we all know that…
Carling cup,same story,still going to play his kids,so we know the outcome…
FA cup,again,same story,unless he decides to change his tactics(no more kids)…
CL,no way ,we are winning this one…
Arsenal makes me think about Ajax! What we do now is create and form players to sell them… SO SAD…
For January or for the future:
A new goal keeper because (let’s be real) Alumnia is not top class (he is just average)…
A target man,strong and deadly: Kessling,Chamakh, Dzeko.
A defensive Mid to support Song.
A Centre back (believe me Gallas is leaving).
A offensive Mid with a creative mind (Fabregas is gone next summer,for sure).
Wenger has money,spend it for God sake “…
It almost seems like you want Fabregas out of the team. He will for sure leave ones he realizes most Arsenal fans has already “sold” him.. It would be rather imbarrasing if he stayed and the kid from Barcelona has more faith in this team than his fans.. really sad…
Cesc is under too much pressure. I was disappointed by him today, but on second thought, how can you expect him to always perform? There are top players who sometimes don’t perform but their team still wins because there are other top players in the side.
For Cesc, that “other player” had to be Arshavin today, but even he was below-par.
I disagree with u about cesc chris…he struggled a lot defensively and offensively but he had no support…he did sum brilliant passes and eduardo did nothing…if rvp was there i’m sure he had more reaction and nail at least a goal! i think cesc was our best man out there today
i also liked song…good passes…i don’t understand why he let denilson instead of song
Well when you have a team that produces nothing (Arsenal-no titles) and a team that challenges year in and year out (Barcelona) and wants you badly (let’s not forget that he said he will go back to barcelona one day)… What would you do?
Anyway let’s focus on the problems at hand,because we have problems…!!!
Song leaves in january,who can back him up????
Van Persie is out,who can back him up????
Our 2 centre back are already showing signs of fatigue,who can back them up????
Yes,no one…for all the above…
Pal has put it correctly… We were out muscled and crushed at every compartment of the line up…
Arsene,january should be a time to reflect… We HAS TO BUY A STRIKER since Van Persie is out for the rest of the season,that’s the minimum…
Also,a defensive mid since we are loosing Song.
Is he going to do it? let me answer that for you! NO
He will come to the usual press conference and tell you that his squad is strong enough and is showing more commitments and realism…
Let’s wait and see… I fear the worse is still coming.
Re enforcements we need a minimum of 3 players no striker’s evident today great game but we were unlucky with re informants we could win next time but we need Re enforcements our team is cool but they needs help to much pressure on our guys alone to win Archivan didn’t look healthy at all neither did Galas they all played to many matches they need rest
Hope all arsenal Staff will act on Re enforcements
Once I stopped gagging on my Philly cheese steak sandwich while watching Arsenal’s suck sorry display against Chelsea, a few observations.
Reality bites. Man U’s Patrice Evra was right: today’s game was boys against men all over again. On average Chelsea’s team must have a 2 inch height advantage and 20 lbs weight advantage. Arsenal players were muscled out of position and ultimately out of the game. Chelsea were simply overpowering and may well win league, cup and champions league titles this season. They’re compact, ruthless, and efficient. Arshavin looked disinterested and Eduardo seemed baffled. Even at full strength (with RvP, Clichy, Bendtner, Gibbs, and Diaby) Arsenal would have stood little better chance.
Wenger no longer can be blind to today’s reality’s check. However well-intentioned the economist in Wenger wants to pay off the stadium and purchase players through the Highbury real estate business model, he will have to splash the cash and shop for size, power and impact players. While no one can stop Drogba, this game was a blue print for other teams on how to play Arsenal – out-physical them. Arsenbal’s abundance of midfield players is at the direct expense of a thin, threadbare defense. The experiment with a line-up of smurfs, however talented, has failed. The time has come for some well fed, mean spirited, NFL-sized defenders.
Perhaps a change in menu at the Arsenal canteen is due: I suggest daily with protein milk shakes.
Arsene: wake up and smell the cheese steaks. Better yet: put them on the menu too.
See you next time at the Carling Cup game vs. Man City.
Til then!
Finish off! – Finish off finish off finish off!
Shoot!
Head!
Poke!
Use your chest, knee, heel or anything else!
Just HAVE A CRACK!
We need a Batistuta/Nistelrooij/Huntelaar-kinda type who’s just there to pounce and finish our attacks. I counted only two or three sttempts on target and even those were poor.
Today, like oft times before, showed that the intricate build-up play we’re renown for does us absolutely f.ckall against the best of opposition. We need cynicism in attack and canNOT afford to rely as heavily on just one striker (RvP) to do the job as we are at present.
that is supposed to be eduardo or vela, not sure where that side of their game was.
This team reminds me of the “Brazillian team of the 1980’s” no genuine striker
great midfield options such as zico socrates falcao naive at back we have all the attributes of that side and no signs that we will win something this year .We have lost to Manchester United Manchester City and Chelsea playing similiarly . We may again drop points against Liverpool.
We need a Rooney A Torres A Drogba
at front efficient strikers who bully defenders i doubt if we have anyone like including Rvp
we were at our best when we had ADEBAYOR(i hate him though) EDUARDO and flamster in the middle yesterday there was no one in the middle to conect to our crosses.
SIGN CARLTON COLE or make it 6 7 8 9 years without a trophy