Arsenal Face a Different Test

March 22, 2014- What should have been a day of celebration for Arsene Wenger ended in humiliation when Arsenal were trounced by Chelsea 6-0 at Stamford Bridge.  The Frenchman was celebrating his 1000th match in charge, and one could argue that sunny day in East London was the worst of them all.  

With Lukas Podolski and Tomas Rosicky patrolling the wings, Arsenal were stagnant and pedestrian in the face of a Chelsea thunderstorm of attacks.  To make matters worse, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain took a wild swing at Eden Hazards shot heading wide, made contact, and was unjustly mistaken for Kieran Gibbs.  

Gibbs was subsequently sent off, Chelsea converted the penalty to make it 3-0 inside 17 minutes played, Laurent Koscielny was injured and subbed off at half time, and Arsenal’s three substitutions (Mathieu Flamini, Thomas Vermaelen, and Carl Jenkinson) pretty much summed up the nature of the match for the Gunners.  

Regardless, the men left on the bench included Kim Kallstrom, Yaya Sanogo, and Serge Gnabry, so glory for Wenger on his big day was never an option.  Sunday, Arsenal return to Stamford Bridge in hope of snatching a point, or perhaps even three.  

Wednesday’s 4-1 dismantling of Galatasaray gave fans a glimpse into perhaps a new formula for success at Arsenal.  Aside from the obvious lack of personnel with which they faced Chelsea last season, Arsenal were without any pace on the field, something they added in the summer by signing Danny Welbeck and Alexis.  

Together with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the pair constantly ran behind the Galatasaray defense and gave Mesut Ozil runners with which to aim his lovely passes at.  Welbeck’s hat trick grabbed the headlines, but Alexis and Ozil were almost as impressive in their all-around displays.  

Coming off such a successful outing, Arsenal fans will be inclined to ask for more of the fireworks from their Champions League outing on Wednesday.  Chelsea, however, are not Galatasaray.  This Arsenal squad is furlongs better than the one that travelled to Stamford Bridge in March, and so is Chelsea’s.  

Enough cannot be said about the impact Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa have had at Stamford Bridge.  Coupled with Jose Mourinho’s flexible and pragmatic tactical approach, Chelsea have the best record in the league and are showing no signs of letting up.  

The goal creators and scorers grab the headlines, but Chelsea’s biggest strength is their defense.  John Terry’s performance on Tuesday was imperious as ever, as was Branislav Ivanovic’s.  With Nemanja Matic providing the cover that Arsenal’s back line so desperately needs, Chelsea’s foundation complements their creative attackers.  

Thus, It will be a surprise to see such a positive lineup on Sunday when Arsenal play Chelsea across London.  If Mesut Ozil and Alexis are to be relied on defensively, Chelsea will no doubt score goals.  Santi Cazorla, positioned ahead of Mathieu Flamini but behind Ozil, put in a yeoman’s display on Wednesday, but his inclusion there would surprise me.  

Jack Wilshere, so often picked in big games by Wenger, will likely start next to Mathieu Flamini in a midfield duo after a weeks rest and a quick run out against Galatasaray.  Arsenal’s hopes will lie on the shoulders of these two, who imperatively must protect the back four and stay disciplined in a hostile environment. 

Being the conservative tactician that he is, Wenger likes to stick with lineups which yield results.  Given the magnitude of Wednesday’s result, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Wenger field the exact same XI.

This is Wenger’s biggest flaw each year, since top teams adjust and know exactly what to expect when they play Arsenal.  Wenger’s stubbornness prevents him from coming out with a steely attitude of buckling down defensively, but that stubbornness is only indicative of the faith he has in his attacking players.  

It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Arsenal and Chelsea open the floodgates and take part in a free-flowing goal frenzy of a match.  Then again, Jose Mourinho will also be weary of Arsenal’s momentum after Wednesday’s win and may fancy a risk-free gameplan.  

Like Germany did to Brazil in July, Chelsea have that ability to soak up pressure and lure the opposition in, only to pounce with a quick blitzkrieg counter attack.  Regardless, Arsene Wenger should proceed with caution on Sunday, a point being a terrific result in the first of many premier league road tests this season.  

King Courtois' Reign Begins

Thibault Courtois is one of those athletes who makes a lot of us think “what am I doing with my life?”  At 22, the Chelsea shot stopper is already established as one of the finest goalkeepers in the world.  

Often the forgotten player in the historically brilliant transfer window that was Chelsea’s summer, Courtois is commonly overlooked in favor of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas.  The midfielder and the striker have been integral to Chelsea’s perfect record, but the young Belgian keeper will be a mainstay in the Blues' starting eleven for a very long time.  

The age of King Courtois has officially begun in England.  This morning, Courtois signed a new 5-year deal that keeps him at Stamford Bridge through the 2018-2019 season.  At his youthful age, the keeper has already won La Liga and played in the Champions League final to cap an impressive three year loan spell at Atletico Madrid.

A few weeks later, Courtois anchored a Belgian defense that gave up just three goals in five games at the World Cup.  Not only does he boast in impressive repertoire of accomplishments.  The 22 year old declared himself one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his spell in Madrid.  

He oozes confidence, commands the box like a general, and at 6’6 shows flashes of freakish athleticism.  Albeit he could have kept out at least one of Everton’s goals in the 6-3 thriller, his reaction save to deny Kevin Mirallas later on was brilliant.  

Petr Cech, one of Chelsea’s most loyal servants and perhaps one of the best five keepers in the world, has already been usurped by Courtois at Chelsea just a few weeks into the Belgian's tenure at Stamford Bridge.  It remains to be seen if Cech will stay glued to the bench for the entirety of the season, but for now Courtois has a firm grasp on the starting role.  

Many speculated that Courtois would start on the bench while Cech carried out his duties as the incumbent holder of the #1 jersey.  Cech would of course be on a short leash, but one could argue he earned the right to start the season in goal.  

This speaks to the mild-mannered Belgian’s abilities and the confidence his manager instills in him.  Cech is still just 32, and definitely has more miles left in the tank.  However, he may be looking for a new job in the next few windows, for unseating Courtois will be exceptionally difficult.  

Week Two Preview: Chelsea v Leicester City

If Chelsea’s opening fixture against Burnley was David vs Goliath, one would argue the Blues’ hope opener against Leicester City could be construed as the United States vs Grenada.  The Blues were impressive in disposing of top flight new boys Burnley on Monday, and look to wow the fans at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.  

Cesc Fabregas turned in an immaculate performance in his competitive debut for the East London club, delivering a man-of-the-match performance which included a sublime flick to Andre Schurrle for the Blues’ second tally.  Diego Costa also impressed, opening his account for Chelsea to level at 1-1.  Even so, Chelsea showed some vulnerability, but don’t expect them to do so again this weekend.  

After going down 1-0 on Monday, Chelsea kicked it into top gear.  This weekend look for Chelsea to attack from the opening kickoff, feeding off of the Stamford Bridge crowd.  Leicester were impressive in their home draw against Everton, Riyed Mahrez putting in a terrific performance.  Mahrez showed he belongs in the top flight, and that should be encouraging for Leicester.  

However, Chelsea will be near impossible to compete with at home, at least for a club like Leicester.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Chelsea went unbeaten at home this season, given Jose Mourinho’s pristine record at the Bridge and the arrival of new signings Fabregas and Costa.  

Felipe Luis earned a place on the bench in the opening fixture, but could feature this weekend at left back with Cesar Azpilicueta moving over to right back in place of Branislav Ivanovic.  I would speculate that this would be the long-term solution to Chelsea’s deep set of fullbacks.  Luis has a great deal of pace compared to the aging Ivanovic.    

The combination of Oscar, Nemanja Matic, and Fabregas in the midfield is a lethal one.  Matic is happy to sit deep and dictate the middle third, with Oscar and Fabregas searching out creative opportunities up the field.  Eden Hazard turned in an exceptional performance against Burnley, as did Andre Schurrle who was on the end of Fabregas’ wonder-through ball.  

Diego Costa completes this Chelsea team.  Costa showed promise that he could replicate his La Liga form in the premier league, while his skill set could have easily made the difference in Chelsea’s title challenge last season.  He doesn’t look it, but Costa is still at a tender enough age that he could yet show his best.  

Under Jose Mourinho, Costa will be managed well, not that he wasn’t under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid.  With a top striker, Chelsea look set to reek havoc both in Europe and in England.  Mourinho has the depth at every position to challenge on multiple fronts, and expect them to take care of business fairly easily this weekend.  They have yet to be tested against a contending team, but the Blues look to be in excellent form early on.  I see Chelsea coming away with a 3-0 win on Saturday.