Show key events only
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Show key events only
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Maresca thinks the result is “a shame”, Chelsea having been in the game until the end. He doesn’t think there was much between the sides, lamenting injuries, and is happy with how his side competed; “the game was there”.
He doesn’t think it’s easy to score against Arsenal, again praises how his team competed, and he’s not concerned about goalie, who was again poor.
“Don’t Chelsea have somewhere between 2 and 2.5 top players for every single position?” asks Alex Whitney. “Of any team in England, they don’t get the luxury of that excuse.”
This was their bench today: Jorgensen, Bettinelli, Tosin, Chalobah, Gusto, Acheampong, Lavia, Dewsbury-Hall, George.
Arsenal don’t play now until 1st April. Given Champions League qualification feels assured, they must now keep their intensity up for the Madrid tie, which is easier said than done when also trying to stay away from injury.
On Sky, they’re trying to show the best bits of the game. Good luck with that, lads.
Who would’ve predicted this when Leeds won at Bramall Lane just a few weeks ago?
I can’t overstate how poor Chelsea were today. It’s not just that they failed to score but that they barely looked bothered to, their attacking play totally devoid of intensity and creativity. They’re missing players, yes, but there’s still no excuse for such poverty.
Coming up next:
Liverpool v Newcastle: Carabao Cup final updates – live
Fulham have beaten Spurs 2-0. They move up to eighth, while Spurs stay 13th.
Arsenal go four points ahead of Forest in third and will surely be playing in next season’s Champions League. But can they qualify as holders?
Gunners on top and win the London derby. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
90+3 min Without Cole Palmer, Chelsea are as threatening as a pair of rubber underpants. Dewsbury-Hall crosses into the box, Gabriel heads back to Raya, and that is probably it.
90+2 min The resurgent Ryan Sessegnon has scored a second for Fulham, who now lead Spurs 2-0.
90+1 min Dewsbury-Hall plays a clever ball through the middle and Cucurella is on to it, but his cross is poor and Raya claims.
90 min We’ll have four additional minutes.
90 min Now a change for Arsenal, Tierney on for Odegaard.
89 min “Can’t understand Chelsea,” emails Colin Davenport. “They’re playing like a team that’s happy with the draw. Only, like, they’re losing….”
I know what you mean. There’s no devil about them, and they’re second to the ball far too often.
87 min Despite my snark, Arsenal will be getting a little nervous, though they’ve dealt pretty easily with everything Chelsea have thrown at them.
86 min Two more changes for Chelsea, Gusto and Tosin on for Fofana and Badiashile. That should sort things.
85 min As I type, though, George takes a pass down the right, just inside the box, and stands up a cross for Cucurella … who can’t find the necessary purchase, plopping a header into Raya’s arms.
84 min I’ve criticised Sancho for a lack of intensity, but it’s not just him. Chelsea are so slow of thought, second to the ball far too often.
82 min “Was gonna suggest you’ve opened a massive can of worms regarding absent looking players and so started listing them,” writes Dave Estherby. “I soon gave up and will just happily agree with you about Sancho; He’s STUNK the place out today.”
It’s s ahem because he’s got such lovely feet and imagination, but without mentality and physicality, he’ll always be a luxury player.
82 min Another Chelsea change, Romeo Lavia on for James having been out for ages; welcome back, old mate. I’m not, though, certain how that’s meant to cause an equaliser.
80 min At Craven Cottage, Rodrigo Muniz has given Fulham the lead against Spurs.
78 min Martinelli gets a knee to the back in a challenge with Caicedo, then goes off to be replaced by Nwaneri.
76 min The problem with Chelsea having Neto up front isn’t just the lack of a pivot, but that he’s reliant on others to get him the ball. He’s been his side’s best attacker, but hasn’t really threatened, whereas if he was coming from deeper and wide, he’d be easier to find.
76 min Off go the ineffectual Sancho, replaced by George, and the almost as ineffectual Nkunku, replaced by Dewsbury-Hall.
75 min A quiet period. Chelsea have been so tame today, but they’re about to make changes…
73 min From the corner, Rice picks out Martinelli at the back post, who heads down and wide.
73 min Rice looks to swerve around the wall, hitting Fernandez’s arse to win a corner.
72 min There’s a long wait before we’re ready to take the kick…
70 min Good work from Lewis-Skelly, who weaves his way towards the Chelsea box … until Forfana stretches a heavy thigh across his path. He really needs to be careful, but in the meantime he stays on the park and Arsenal have a free-kick 20 yards out, just left of the D. Raya races down the pitch to tell Rice something or other; let’s see if it works…
68 min “Re: Gary’s point abut home advantage,” says Robbie Hancock, “is it not also something to do with Premier League big teams’ stadiums not being intimidating at all? Arsenal today, City yesterday, haven’t exactly been terrifying!”
Maybe there’s a bit of that but when are we saying they were more so?
66 min “We haven’t seen too much of Sancho,” says Alan Smith, which is a generous way of putting things. I can’t think of too many players it’s easier to forget are on the pitch, though Henrikh Mkhitaryan is also proficient in this aspect.
65 min Cucurella races on to a pass and gets to the ball just ahead of the sliding Odegaard, who ploughs through him and is booked. That’s three each now, a red card looking increasingly likely.
62 min Maresca must surely be thinking about potential changes. Problem being he doesn’t have much available; dare he try young Tyrique George?
60 min Martinelli tosses in a cross from the right and Merino punches a side-footed volley … that Sanchez does well to claw out from on the line. Chelsea then move forward and when Saliba’s challenge on Fernandez concedes a corner, he punches the air at the crowd like something completely different has just happened.
That ‘Vidal Sassoon’ moment. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters
59 min Fofana chucks a spare ball on to the pitch to stop arsenal taking a quick throw and, finally, he’s booked.
57 min Nkunku opens his legs and carries into the Arsenal half but Cheldsea are immediately forced backwards. No matter, two swift passes – Badaishile into Fernandez and Fernandez into Neto, get them back up the pitch … before a shot is swiped miles over the top. The ref then books Partey for a tackle on Fernandez earlier in the move.
56 min “Good morning from Pittsburgh!” begins Eric Peterson. “I enjoyed Adam Griffiths’ observation about Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea and the Manchester City version of Jack Grealish. The irony about Grealish is all that “fun and unexpectedness” is exactly why Pep Guardiola signed Grealish in the first place. Pep saw a player who could play within his system but still bring some of that flair, and as much as Grealish’s post-Villa career has been lamented, I don’t think Pep was wrong. If you can stomach a wee bit of chaos and unpredictability in the squad you’re managing, you make your team harder to play against, which is a good thing. It’s like garlic; I dare you to find a dinner entree that isn’t made better by it, but heaven help you if you make it the main ingredient.”
If I was blaming anyone for Grealish’s current predicament, I’d start with the man himself. Is he doing everything he can to succeed?
1 of 3
