Fagerlund: a completely different Arsenal

Published: December 26, 2020 at 8:32 p.m.
Updated: December 26, 2020 at 8:54 p.m.

LONDON. Lacquer. Xhaka. Launching.

Chelsea may have been responsible for one of their weaker efforts under Frank Lampard, but Arsenal were shining in the rain on Boxing Day.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the bench and the youngsters in the starting eleven.

It had been a long time since an Arsenal goal felt really well deserved, but when Alexandre Lacazette scored 1-0 behind Edouard Mendy after about half an hour at The Emirates, it was well deserved. The euphoric celebration amid storms and storm surge (storm “Bella” has swept London) said this was a club that had suffered a lot from half-dull and disinterested endeavors for a while.

Meeting Chelsea on Boxing Day seemed like a nightmare on paper, but in the name of honesty, the timing was good. Sure, Frank Lampard’s men beat West Ham 3-0 in the final round, but they made up for the game’s problems. For parts of the first half, Christian Pulisic made some terrifying runs with the ball and Mason Mount took a free throw near Leno’s post. Otherwise, Chelsea were surprisingly passive.

I dress the sweater as a kitchen towel

All the light was in the Arsenal. A lot has gone wrong this fall and if you sum up what’s being whispered behind the scenes here, team dynamics are the main reason. In their feverish desire to get the club back on track after the Wenger regime, Mikel Arteta and Edu have probably been too aggressive. It has resulted in strong and bitter individuals, as well as a collective disharmony.

Before the game, it was possible to count on one hand how many players had sought to value the Arsenal shirt more than a kitchen towel. Bernd Leno, Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka were all in the starting eleven against Chelsea. Now with a much needed spice from Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith-Rowe. If it is not possible to teach the “old” players to obey, it is better to include the young ones, especially since the wind players David Luiz, Willian and Gabriel were missing due to illness and Covid-19.

Typical Xhaka …

The one who wasn’t expected to step up and take the home team was Granit Xhaka. It’s in itself a bit typical for him to make a fuss and then show the outside world what a gamer he can be. The midfielder roared at Lacazette in the press match, assured that Mohamed Elneny did not get too many side passes and scored goals above all. The free kick shortly before the break was unattainable for Mendy and she huddled in the goalkeeper’s left center.

Xhaka, Tierney, Martinelli, Saka, Bellerín, Smith-Rowe … As the team had long scored the goals they deserved, there were an unusual number of players who seemed to enjoy life as Arsenal players. The lead goal came from a Tierney run in the penalty area, leaving Reece James behind. The contact between the players was not extreme but Michael Oliver did not hesitate and sentenced. There may have been two solid situations behind the 2-0 lead, but Chelsea were well below their superior level.

Photo: Pool / Getty Images Europe

Then came the death blow

Frank Lampard understood that something had to change and made a double change immediately after the break. Timo Werner and Mateo Kovacic were euthanized by Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jorginho. It had an effect in such a way that the visiting team became significantly more mobile and had their best period in the match. Thoughts even went to last season’s match that ended with Chelsea turning inferiority into victory.

Then came the death blow. Bukayo Saka, superb as always, landed a strange balloon shot from the right that sailed behind Mendy. The reactions of the few spectators who populated the arena (club staff and journalists) were a shock.

Lacquer, Xhaka, Saka. 3-0 against Chelsea with more than half an hour to play. Sometimes he goes fast in football. The reduction of Tammy Abraham, which the VAR intervened and approved after the lineman incorrectly raised the flag, came a bit late. When Pablo Marí sent a high free kick over the penalty area.

A completely different setting

I dare say that the fact that Mikel Arteta is at Arsenal or not did not influence the outcome of Saturday’s derby. Management support seems unwavering today. Nor is it the result, 3-1, which suggests that the Spaniard can reach the end on the right side of the chaos. After all, Chelsea represented their possibly weakest effort of the entire season and have now lost three of their last four Premier League games.

However, the attitude was different than before. When, for example, 19-year-old Gabriel Martinelli left the pitch for Nicolas Pépé, he seemed on the verge of collapse. Brass’s heart and willingness to run contributed greatly to the victory, and he wasn’t the only one who impressed. At the same time, captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the one who everyone thought was always on the Arsenal case, remained on the bench. If only Xhaka and the youngsters can pick up this every week, a relegation battle is completely unthinkable, no matter what West Brom coach Sam Allardyce says.

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Of: Frida fagerlund

Published: December 26, 2020 at 8:32 p.m.

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