“That was our worst first half performance of the season!” – Declan Rice in his post match interview. The standards are there to be met. In that first 45 Arsenal failed to do so and were deservedly punished. But Mikel’s mighty gunners showed true grit to claw back a draw. The Art of Analysis in depth look is finally here!
The lineup:
Arsenal showed their fighting spirit to come back and secure a point that keeps their unbeaten start to the Premier League season alive. Most Arsenal fans would agree that Chelsea were the better team, but that counts for nothing if you can’t win all three points.
Arsenal fell behind on 15 minutes when Cole Palmer converted a penalty after a controversial handball decision against William Saliba following VAR intervention. This was the first goal that Arsenal had conceded away from home this season, ending a run of 335 minutes without letting in an away goal, including the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
This penalty was the seventh that David Raya has faced as a Premier League goalkeeper, and he has yet to save one. Only four goalkeepers in Premier League history have faced more penalties without saving one.
Arsenal’s attack was virtually non-existent in the first half. In Mikel Arteta’s 143rd Premier League game as Arsenal manager, his team only attempted fewer first-half shots (two) on six occasions, had fewer first-half touches in the opposition box (three) on five occasions, and their first-half expected goals (xG) total of 0.12 was their eighth lowest across those 143 games.
Arsenal’s situation worsened in the second half:
Just two minutes and 21 seconds into the second half, Mykhailo Mudryk unintentionally floated the ball over a stranded David Raya after attempting a cross to Raheem Sterling in the middle. Raya was caught off his line and in no man’s land, and this questionable positioning was the latest incident in a recent string of shaky moments for the Spanish goalkeeper.
Raya’s poor form continued in the 60th minute, when he made a terrible pass that could have easily resulted in another goal for Chelsea. Fortunately for Raya, Cole Palmer was unable to capitalize on his mistake. With Aaron Ramsdale available, Arteta may be tempted to drop Raya and reinstate his former number one sooner rather than later.
In Game Management on a Different Level:
Declan Rice’s first-time shot into the empty net halved the deficit in the 77th minute. Leandro Trossard headed in Saka’s brilliant cross at the back post to equalize.
Arsenal had not attempted a single shot on target before these goals, but then they scored two in two. Trossard became the first Arsenal player to score each of his first three Premier League goals for the club as a substitute.
Arsenal’s substitutes have provided five goals and three assists in their nine Premier League matches this season. Only Newcastle and Brighton have seen more goal involvements from their substitutes in the Premier League this season (both nine) than Arsenal (eight), while Brighton’s substitutes are the only team to have provided more goals (seven) than the Gunners’ (five).
Arteta understood the changes needed after that abysmal first half performance. He spoke to match of the day reporters stating: “It’s mixed feelings. Credit to Chelsea for the way they set up. You have to expect that. We were below par in very basic things and we didn’t play with enough purpose with the ball and we were soft in some situations. We allowed them to run which is a really dangerous thing to do.
“We tweaked things and played the second half with a different intensity. We were more of a threat and we should have scored a goal earlier. We scored two brilliant goals which gave us a point but we wanted more.
“When you’re 2-0 down against Chelsea you can drop your head and start to blame each other. But the team never did that they believed they could do it (get back in the game).”
Conclusion:
Arsenal have maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier League season, extending their run to nine games. While they are still 29 games away from matching the incredible achievement of their Invincibles team of 2003-04, the character they showed in rescuing a point despite a poor performance is a positive sign for their title challenge this season.
A point rescued and now joint top of the league with Man City. The fight remains very much on!
Written by Reekesh Somaroo
Stats by Opta & The Athletic