Chelsea succumbed to a 3-1 loss to the Gunners in the Premier League on Saturday night. This is the Blues third defeat in four matches after they lost 2-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers and 1-0 to Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton.
The Pensioners starter off extremely poorly in the match with Arsenal looking to pressurize them from the word go and it seemed that Mikel Arteta had told his men that Chelsea’s midfield could crumble under pressure. Chelsea’s midfield looked absolutely dismal with no coordination whatsoever. And Arsenal took full advantage of the fact and exploited the vast amount of pockets left.
This match was a chance for Chelsea to go second in the table had they secured the win. However, things started to go haywire after Reece James conceded that penalty. Even though only minimal contact was there, it’s still enough according to the standards now.
Additionally, Chelsea has away yet another extremely poor could in a vulnerable zone. And with such a lovely opportunity presented Granit Xhaka wasn’t going to miss out. A peach of a free-kick to leave Eduoard Mendy absolutely stranded.
The last nail in the coffin came via Bukayo Saka in a goal which is strange, to say the least. A lovely dunk from right on the edge of the penalty box to secure 3 goals for Arsenal. Tammy Abraham did score in the dying minutes but it was only a consolidation.
Frank Lampard tears into Chelsea players after defeat to Arsenal
Coach Frank Lampard is absolutely disgusted with the performance his players put up at the Emirates. And rightly so – the Chelsea players showed no passion and desire throughout the game and it’s a viable reason to get mad.
In his post-match conference, Frank Lampard said that the players looked ‘lazy’, and more is expected from them. New signing Timo Werner needs to step up his game dramatically. In yet another match he was extremely poor, to say the least. Werner lost the ball far too many times and broke any rhythm Chelsea was able to manufacture. In such a high-intensity game that can’t happen.
Lampard further added: “I can’t defend the first half because they lacked the basics of football. The message was clear to the players. It was to be a tough game against a team that’s fighting, a team of quality, a team that would give everything for a London derby.”
“I can’t answer that because some things you can reflect on in terms of tactics, preparation and all these things but in terms of effort, it’s something that just has to be a given in football. The players got it wrong.”
However some blame does lie on the part of Frank Lampard as well- his team selection is definitely at fault for this defeat. Timo Werner needs to be played in a more central role and not on the wings. It’s a position in which he thrives the most.
Christian Pulisic should be starting on the left flank alongside Callum Hudson Odoi on the right. Odoi is a backup option and only deployed until the return of Hakim Ziyech whose absence is becoming more and more visible.
The London giants need to step up their performance badly. Aston Villa is up next and it’s a chance for them to show their rivals that we’re still very much in the title race. Frank Lampard needs to revitalize his men and be ready for the next battle.
