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Chelsea v Arsenal Review – Who would have predicted a 4-2 win to the Gunners?

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 04: Mikel Arteta manager of Arsenal goes up to the fans after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park on April 04, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

What an incredible game!

Everyone and their dog expected Arsenal to lose badly to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tonight, especially as Arsenal has lost their last three games to very mediocre teams, so the superstars of Chelsea were actually a scary proposition.

But Mikel Arteta changed his tactics and a few personell, and went out and fought for the points.

Eddie Nketiah put us in front after just 13 minutes thanks to a gift from Christiansen, but just 4 minutes later Xhaka unluckily gave the Blues an equalizer.

But it only took another ten minutes of end to end play, before Smith-Rowe gave Arsenal the lead again. We can’t say it was beautiful football but who cares about that as long as Arsenal went in front?

Sure enough, five minutes later the Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta somehow managed to put Chelsea back in the game and we incredibly went into the break at 2-2.

The second half was just as nerve-wracking, but once Eddie NKetiah put us back in front on the hour mark, Arsenal fans really believed we could win it, and when Azpilicueta pulled Gabriel down in box in aded time it was simply the icing on the cake.

No-one will believe this score if they didn’t watch the game, but I think it is now time to celebrate!

COYG!

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152 Comments

  1. Awful performance in the first ten minutes, but amazing effort in the second half. Nketiah is definitely MOTM and I don’t think Lacazette can be a regular starter again

    I’m worried about Ramsdale, because he’s been conceded too many easy goals. Elneny’s interceptions seem better than Lokonga, unfortunately Lokonga has to start ahead of him because he’s leaving

      1. Top six and he deserves to get his own CF

        I’m still hoping for Nketiah to sign his contract extension though. He seems to have learned a lot from Lacazette about hold-up play

        1. I in particular will not be carried away with one good performance of nkettia and all the praise should go to Muhammad elneny period

          1. Elneny was tidy and intercepted many passes. He’s one of the most experienced central midfielders at Arsenal, unfortunately Arsenal would likely not extend his contract

        1. I disagree.
          It is quite clear that Arteta has tactical nous. By no means will it be a curse for him to stay.

            1. We have the youngest squad in the league, and young squads tend to be inconsistent. We had a bad run og games due to injuries on key players, and probably drop of form, nothing unusual 🔴⚪️

      4. Well FF, I said Mikel would rise from the ashes like the Phoenix, and he did. This is called progression, standing shoulder to shoulder with the elite and big boys. Mr.Wenger’s lads would be thumped, while Mikel’s lads put in a shift. We were very unfortunate to lose to City, Utd in spite of being the better team. Last night’s match confirmed that Mikel has the ability to outsmart any elite managers. We had a minor blip and we are back in town. Ralph and pals, Mikel is back to ruin your weekend, unless the friendly Xhaka lends a helping hand like last night.

    2. Hahaha I’m so glad Nketiah scored a brace. Now people won’t see me as dumb when I say Nketiah is better than Laca. Even from a natural talent point of view he’s above Laca. The annoying thing is he should’ve been starting from when the season. Lac wouldn’t even have outscored or gto the same goals as him in the Carabao if he palyed in it.

      1. You’re right kev. Lacazette doesn’t seem to be motivated and is much slower than Nketiah nowadays

        Hopefully Nketiah changes his mind of leaving and Balogun returns as a better CF next season

      3. Do you think arsenal would even be in the position we are now if laca hadn’t been playing so much this season? I’m sorry but it’s happened a few times in the last couple of years – arteta tries to play Auba or Nketiah up front, and it doesnt work, eventually he turns to laca, and suddenly we look like a decent side.
        I’m happy for Eddie, he has an amazing attitude and mentality imo, but let’s not get carried away and let’s not use it as a stick to beat laca – we would be several places lower in the league without laca’s contributions this year.

        1. You make some good points. The jury is still out on Nketiah.
          So far I am not convinced that he is a long term solution even though he did play well in this game.

      4. Agree with you . Laca is pants, all this rubbish about hold up play. Give it a rest he is a poor CF and poor ST. I dont think Eddie is great but lacca is pants. Please dear God let us get a real striker. Screw it bring in 2 and a winger and a CM

    3. I said before the game it would be ideal for Holding to start, to keep the defense stable. Hands up I didn’t watch the match but knew playing Holding may have given us some stability. We have been here under this false dawn with arteta before with Chelsea the team to give us this false dawn.

  2. It’s funny because now people will push for Nketiah to start over Laca when it was already obvious since preseason that Nketiah was looking better than Laca and Auba. I will keep on stressing that if Arteta had started with him from the start he would’ve outscored both Laca and Auba. Thankfully I didn’t wait for this match to say so because it was obvious from the eye test. One thing I’ll also say is people should stop overrating top opposition before we play them. Every team is beatable and you should know that when it comes to matches between top teams anything can happen. This is why I hated the talk of a free hit when we were playing Liverpool. Our form then was even far better than now. Thankfully our team doesn’t accept it that way. Now kudos to Arteta and the boys for the win. Arteta deserves a lot of credit for coming out with an effective plan. The MOTM was between Nketiah, Saka and Xhaka but for today Nketiah takes it homes.

    2. Nope arteta needs to go. The constant tactical mistakes have cost us. Xaka at lb was the last straw for me tbh. That Brighton game is a game e could have at very minimum took a point if xaka was not at lb.

      We would be in 4th instead of 5th now. Now we gotta wait on mistakes from spurs.

      1. How many clubs have better squad than us? ManCity, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham. ManUnited has probably also better squad, but they have underperformed big time, they became 2nd last season.

        We can manage top four but more likely top six.

  5. I said it earlier that when you expect Arsenal to roll over, that’s when they turn up. Hope we’ll take it a step further by beating Man United next. However, keep your expectations low because you don’t know the Arsenal that’ll turn up

  8. I eat a humblest pie I’ve ever had. Raise my hands in the air and admit I was dead wrong.

    That being said, I really hate Arsenal sometimes. They lose 3 in a row which drains you emotionally. After that you get kind of used to it and are expecting the same. And then they go to SB and score 4. Its just too much emotions goddamit..

    1. To be fair Southampton was bs it was the freak result of the season, weirdly the only result this season that was close to it was Spurs 1-0 v wolves when wolves battered them all game but lost to a 1st 10 pen. Other 2 no excuse.

  12. Good game but not convinced. Its in the same way Arsenal raises your hope and dash it. Where in the world was this performance three matches ago? Its not healthy switching from hopeful to hopeless. 🙄

  13. Not starting Elneny over Lokonga in the last two matches now seems like a crime.
    Infact it’s not using him in the last two games.
    Kudos to boy. All of them.

  16. Good win. Chelsea were poor but we stifled them with our numbers in midfield and our press on the whole was good and we’re clinical when we had the chances.

    Man Utd next. Just wish we had that commitment the last three matches. Still think we threw 4th place away. What could have been but may still well be..

    1. We battered Southampton unlucky so 2 in a row. Palace 2nd half was good enough if not special. Small margins. We got this.

  17. Good win against a top team. Well done MA and the boys.

    I don’t know if Chelsea sprayed that pitch with gasoline. Why is everyone slipping and tumbling – at least not only our players.

    May Chelsea win be the restart to a winning run to the end of the season.

  18. I had written us off but credit to every player out there. Nketiah and especially Xhaka who actually held it down today and was constantly in communication with Arteta and the players.
    Now it’s a must we win on Saturday.
    Liverpool will do us a favor when they play Spurs.
    We can’t afford to drop anymore points please

      1. @Admin,

        I would really not like us to leave it that late (to beat Spurs).. I think its the 3rd last game of the season. After that we or Spurs don’t have that difficult games left.

        Ideally, we would beat United and W Ham next which essentially would mean they are condemned to 6th and 7th. And with any luck Brentford, Leicester and Liverpool could do us favors in the next 3 games..

  19. I don’t know what to take from this game. I think Tuchel and Chelsea players took Arsenal lightly. They were also relying on the lack of goals from us.

    I still expect more twists and turns.

    1. Tuchel was a savage and ruthless. He took Christensen out after making a fatal mistake in the first half

      He could afford it because he’s got plenty of high quality defenders

      1. Yes I agree with the game management.

        But I think before the match they really might have thought we would struggle to score.

        Starting Lukaku was also a gamble which he took just because its Arsenal (my logic).

        1. Tuchel played Lukaku because strong players are always a nightmare for Arsenal. Remember he scored in the reverse fixture.

          Even though Arsenal can make and break you within a twinkle of an eye, I’m giving credit to where it’s due, well done guys, well done Arteta. People can easily say Chelsea were poor tonight but that’s bullshit, Arsenal choked them in the middle, thanks to constant high press by Nketiah, Saka and Smith Rowe. More of the same against Man U

  20. Fair play to the manager and the boys ,deserved the win when alot of fans thought we would lose me included,so big ups .

  21. Give credit to Arteta for his tactics are credit to the boys. I commented they needed to step up and show something, and they sure did.

    94 minutes they got after Chelsea, good fight and spirit, that’s what fans want to see.

    Level on points with spuds, squeaky bum time to finish the season. Play hard like that and take your chances.

    1. Probably easier for us to play against good opponents with confidence, playing their own games. Arrogance can sometimes be a two-edged sword

  22. That was much better we could have easily scored 6 or 7 with better finishing. The 2 Chelsea goals were lucky to say the least and how Mount doesn’t see Red baffles me.

    I’ve been saying go 343 for the last 3 games and finally we did and then we win. Without outlr first choice fullbacks it’s the only way to go. Big kudos to Tavares, don’t get me wrong he’s still very raw but the effort was fully there, well done to him.

    And then the “mediocre” who’s created more chances than any other player since the turn of the year. He knits everything together and Elneny even though rusty to begin with did well next to Xhaka. These young lads need any experience they can get next to them and it paid off today.

    On to Utd at home now and a win puts us back in the driving seat

    1. Sorry should have been “mediocre” ODEGAARD who’s created more chances than any other player since the turn of the year

      1. When you say 6’4 James that Odegaard as created more chances than any other player do you mean Arsenal players or the whole league ?

          1. That’s right mambo shame we didn’t have a Vlahovic or Haaland his goals created would be through the roof

            1. Said it before Vlahovic made the wrong decision for his own career and cost us but we move on and correctly waited until the summer outside that. Buyer’s market for strikers this summer.

              1. Agreed Angus, if Nkethia keeps up that kingd of form he would deserve a new contract. Hopefully Darwin Nuniez comes in send Balogun on loan again and sign Ivan Toney too

        2. Funnily enough Dan a stat came up during the game that he created more chances than anyone in the league apparently . Surprised me tbh but when you got Lacazette who couldn’t finish his dinner the goals created stat is low

    2. The point about Odegard is particularly pertinent.I have been amazed to see these comments about him on this site.
      He works very hard for the team and is a great creator of chances. As you say he has created more chances than anyone else in the PL since the turn of the year. Yet, on JA he is considered ‘mediocre’.

      2. I love the guy, technically gifted, confident in tight spaces(which for me he seems to prefer), he has and eye for a pass, decent pace, superb work ethic and has good stamina. Very much underated by some of our fan base, mainly I think for their detest of Arteta which is a bit unfair. I’m on the fence with Arteta and will be with any manager for that fact until they win anything of note. But I’m very happy with how our team is starting to take shape.

        Were miles off City and Liverpool though, Ragnick said Utd are 7 years behind. But we’re getting there first we need Europe then build on from there

      3. During the hate’a’thon pre/early season said he’d be a fan favourite. He ain’t quite hit the universal love yet but he will. He could be Bergkamp 2.0 (still one of our most expensive signings in history) that sparks our next charge. Bergkamp got an experienced defence. Ode has saka, ESR, martinelli and a young defence/gk. Sky’s the limit, believe.

  23. If only Arteta has been knowledgeable enough to know that elneny is stronger,better&more experienced than lokonga in the defensive midfield&introducing holding&switching to a 3 man defence to cover for injured tierney,we would still be in the driver’s seat in the race for top 4.

    1. Similar to the previous 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations, the 3-4-2-1 will also be cracked by the oppositions at some point. I think we could surprise our next three oppositions, before having to switch back to one of our previous tactics

    2. Yes Matthew. That should have been the formation against Brighton and Southampton.
      Anyways, we are still in the fight for top4. Man United next. COYGs

    3. Whilst I agree with the synopsis, Matthew, it’s easy to be wise after the event – better to have come to the right tactics now than not at all. I didn’t notice many on the forum before now advocating that Elneny, who is also leaving shortly, should play alongside Xhaka as a second DM. Or that 3 CBs – a formation that has helped us not to concede this season but has hardly made us more creative – was the way forward.

      1. I did lol, I said when we lost Tierney and after the 3-0 at palace, go to 3 at the back and bring in more experienced players we have Elneny being one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think we should keep him after this season, I don’t think he’s good enough for Arsenal. But use him as much of possible in the final run in

      2. I disagree with the synopsis. It makes a number assumptions and draws conclusions based on a single result with it’s particular set of circumstances.

  24. Chelsea fans we didn’t want to win
    Man utd fans it was never a pen
    Hahaha salty fans, excellent win now we need to send the mancs to the conference league!

      1. Pat I am Arteta out but i would never hope for my team to lose in order for it to happen. I support Arsenal not any individual

        1. Kev, I’m on the fence about Arteta as a long term manager, he’s done some good and bad things so far. But like having a young team, a young manager lacks the experience that gives adaptibility and consistency. He has to start beating the top teams consistently, win something of note and put us back in the title challenge mix.

          But I support him and the team and I like what he’s done with the squad tbh. This summer will be huge to see if both Edu and Arteta are the future of the club

          1. James I’ve always said I will stand corrected if Arteta can turn it around I’m not petty enough to continue criticism just to be proven right, I would rather be wrong but at the end of the day I’m an Arsenal fan not an Arteta fan and I’ve been an Arsenal fan long before Arteta was manager and player.

  25. Apologies to my countryman Eddie for writing him off before the game. No one gave him a dog chance to score twice against Chelsea.

    My apologies bro, hope you succeed in your quest for switching allegiance to Ghana. See you in Qatar bruv!!!

  26. Well done bys i ddnt see that coming. Bt guys the last 2 games our bys played well only we had many shots on target credit to the keepers

  27. Exactly who would have predicted a win let alone 4-2. That is why I am not excited with the win if though it is much much needed. We couldn’t played the way we played against Palace, Brighton and Soton and win today match and everything become suddenly fine. I will glad trade this win for winning those match. As for Arteta, enough have been said about him but if he has to fcuk it before make it better I will wish him good luck in his future endeavours away from Arsenal. He selected both Holding and MO too late.

    1. Adiva – I’m sure you’d be one of the first on here to criticise Arteta picking Holding and Elneny AT ALL if we had lost. So easy to have a pop after the event. I’m not an Arteta apologist but there is no pleasing people who simply never want to be pleased…
      I for one AM excited as it at least means we still have something worthwhile to play for so I can stay invested for the last few games.

      1. How do you know I never want to be pleased and be the one of the first that will criticize him for picking Holding and Elneny. Guy please say what you know. Arteta himself knows doing the same things and expecting different results is madness. That was why he made changes that yielded a desirable result. The fact here he didn’t use both players in our previous lost 3 games.

  28. Arsenal. Very unpredictable team. Losing those three games before today hurts badly but that’s football. Delighted we won today…

  29. I expected a draw at best and couldn’t believe the verve and tempo from the players. Brilliant after a horrible couple of weeks and I hope this continues into the weekend.

    Chelsea were mixed but Arsenal fought tooth and nail. Well done!

  31. Good game lads. Even gonna give a “Big Ups” to OJT Coach for getting it right this time round…
    But I gotta say, I’m really impressed by my dude Bruno”Skyball” Tavares. No matter how many times he flubs his lines, or how many balls he punts into the stands, he never drops his head. He keeps chugging along…Much respect Skyball 👍🏾

      1. @Reggie
        Thats what I’m talkin bout…”Nuno”. not “Bruno”, keeps fighting on, regardless. He doesn’t sulk or give up…

        1. Gunner, the guy got his confidence shot to bits by the way he was treated by Arteta and the fans but hopefully with a summers rest and a new confidence, he will show us the beast we have.

  32. Considering Chelsea’s home form, imagine if they loose to Westham, Wolves and Leicester!

    That will make this season an epic.
    On the last day it would be
    Gerrard VS City and
    Lambard VS Arsenal

  33. Such an important win for many reasons.
    1. Halting the defeats
    2. Confidence
    3. Top four aspirations
    4. Man Utd game

    Please don’t let it slip now lads, just be “consistent” and the prize is ours.

    Well done Mikel the players and the fans.

    2. Hit them hard, the minute whistle goes off on Saturday, Eleney name should be first on the team sheet

    3. Well said Ken1945
      It’s what you get from a young squad, but they will only get better 😉

  34. I really cannot believe some off ie absolute nonsensical reactions of some fans like Got an Idea.

    That of we finish 6th Arteta deserves to stay.

    Arteta IS DONE. He has already failed. There are.kany other mangers who can manage.

    He has clearly showed he is not elite manager over 3 years. One result against a demotivated Chelsea will not change that.

    Arteta OUT

    1. You are probably the most miserable Arsenal fan Ive ever had to listen to in my life, if you are an Arsenal fan.
      In fact, i an now sure your are not an Arsenal fan, but a troll, so i will respecably say goodbye…

      1. I said before the game it would be ideal for Holding to start, to keep the defense stable. Hands up I didn’t watch the match but knew playing Holding may have given us some stability. We have been here under this false dawn with arteta before with Chelsea the team to give us this false dawn. Hope the win will give us momentum. If not, can’t see arteta been the man to carry us forward.

  36. Like many, I didn’t see that coming – especially after a really poor start when our defence was shocking. But all bedded in for the second half and despite average performances from all 3 CB’s and especially Ramsdale (that’s becoming a concern), the 3-4-3 formation was the winner here, with 2 solid if unspectacular CMs in Xhaka and Elneny tying up the midfield with the width of Saka and Tavares the attacking momentum and freeing up Ode to do what he does best – press and play his simple but creative attacking game. Nketiah’s best ever game for Arsenal (why oh why is he so inconsistent?) means no way back for Laca and demonstrated clearly what we have missed by playing him. Tavares far better going forward and Elneny so much better than Lokonga when we don’t need creativity. 343 is surely here to stay this season and after a long absence great tactics from Arteta and great determination from the boys.

  37. I told you guys that Arteta has something cooking, I told you guys that Tuchel is not ready for Arteta today. Now next man utd.

  38. Any of our spouses or partners who cannot understnd why we are all football and Arsenal addicts , may still not understand why we are. Hopefully perhaps though, some will now understand.

    My Sue cares not a jot that I was screaming obscenities at the TV for the whole first half, as by now she is more than used to that sort of ridiculous male behaviour from her worse half.

    But after this orgasmic evening , WE ARE MORE ADDICTED NOW THAN EVER . And will remain so, thank God! These nights are what we live for, even if our partners still think we are crazy!

    Of course we are and who would wish it any other way. Not me for sure! Its joyous being a football loony!

  39. Keep your heads up gooners!! We now need the supporters. To not transfer that nervousness on to the players come Saturday. The team needs our support. The away fans always manage to bring the best out of our players. We need the same from the home fans. Let’s Go Gunners!!

  40. Lovely, Jon Fox. Yes, that’s why a football loving wife is the best gift God can give a football fan. We can all scream at the TV.

  41. Does anyone else think that the wages and bosman ruling is ruining football. Inflated salaries, inflated signing on fees, contracts that mean you sign for 3-4 years, only to think I’m leaving next year? Look at the likes of Ozil, Aubameyang, pogba, Lukaku, Fernandez, Ramsey, bale, hazard. Coutinhou, dembele, griezmann, Ramos, Sign a massive contract for a big fee or a big signing, with an inflated salary, only to sulk and then show no commitment. For me, I would like to see annual contracts. Howany of you out there get a job, with a 4 year contract, where you can go off sick on full pay? Or be shot at your job and insult your employer’s on social media? Annual contracts would change all that, sure players wages would be very different, but it works in the IPL. The top players are still worth the most, they get the best wages, but each summer if they haven’t performed, their worth would be different.

  43. Lovely win but the effing reffing once again leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

    Sarr should have been sent off for a second yellow after Moss played the advantage when he wiped Cedric out.

    Mount’s ankle breaker on Cedric.

    And for a little balance, Saka got away with one as he was clearly holding the defender’s arm for his penalty. I would have been fuming too.

    How can the best league in the world have such poor officiating?

    1. Voyageur I think it was a pen if you watch it again Azpilicueta takes hold of Saka first he could have went down then, I’ve seen many soft pens go against us and media and rival fans saying rules are rules it’s a penalty. Also how many pens have we been denied in the past most notably the man City game that one was clear as day and I read people say Ederson clearly gets the ball and I’ve seen it from every angle possible he doesn’t touch the ball at all he takes out Odegaard clearly. Getting a pen from Jon Moss is like an eclipse 😂

  44. The run in is hard, none of the first team squad are s**t but are they are top 4 side. We basically have a 20 man squad, 2 are obviously out for the season and possibly 3. Arteta is obviously only using the academy players as bench fillers. I will push the boat out and say none of Okonkwo, Swanson, Awe, Ogunbo, Azeez, Patino, Hutchinson or Bierith will play for the first team next season yet have all been on the bench a la Matt Smith.

    I still think Nketiah, Lacazette, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, and Leno will be joining Guendozi, Torreira, Mavropanos Mari and Bellerin in moving on. There could be more too, if Saliba returns I expect to see Holding leave, if a new winger is signed Pepe is sure to go.

  45. Nice performance today but won’t get carried away.We need to invest in this team.More players should come in I’m the Summer.Nketiah and the likes won’t take us far

  46. Ratings

    Fresh from the ashes
    Eddie ……9/10
    Eleney ….9/10

    Hand the gaffer the war chest, and let the rebuilding begin

      1. We need to rebuild regardless of 4th or 6th place.
        To strengthen the spine of our midfield and attract,
        In spite of our biggest win of the season our squad remains dangerously thin.

        Am hearing complaints again some of the faithful stayed back at Stamford bridge celebrating

        1. Our squad is what it is. Last nights win was proof that the three losses before were nothing at all to do with the squad. The selections and the tactics were poor. That is the biggest worry. 4th this season shoukd have been routine as such, if we dont get it, alarm bells should ring.

          1. It has very much to do with our squad. Young players tend to be inconsistent, but they have delivered better than expected.

            I believe it’s better for us to play against big teams playing with confidence. Now we will have to stay focused to get results. Big teams will attack and open spaces and corridors which we can take advantages of. Ødegaard can very well be a key player in our last six games.

  47. I can’t believe we won!!!! 😂 Are you telling me there is hope for Champion’s League?! Bring Man utd on!

  48. good win but its just a step to recover 9 points that should not have been dropped. We need consistency and more big wins to reach our goal. all for nothing if we win today and lose to an awful United side on the weekend. Also, finally an abysmal Lokonga gets dropped, i dont know why elneny was not Arteta’s natural cover when we are short in that position. We are fighting for a UCl spot and he chose a guy who is totally out of his depth to start matches. Eleneny isn’t flashy but arteta should know he is more than capable of putting in a solid shift and not looking like he’s in the wrong league. Eddie, I am not carried away about. a couple of poacher goals doesn’t mean Arteta was wrong to use Laca over him for majority of 2nd half of the season. Still waiting on Tomi to come back for RB position btw. Because our fullbacks are sad to watch at the moment defend.

    1. I think MA went with Lokonga over first because he kind of had to.

      Elneny is off anyway, and Lokonga is meant to be part of the future, so not picking him first would not have given the kid any confidence. Elneny isn’t exactly a world beater anyway. Overall MA did the right thing – gave Lokonga a chance, he wasn’t great, and then dropped him.

      I actually like Elneny, and given his performance against Chelsea, he has to start along with Xhaka for the remainder of the season.

      1. Will you just admit he was wrong rather than finding excuses.
        If going by your logic why are the center forward getting chances after chances when they are leaving come end of season.
        Martineli is part of the future and he could have been tried there.

        Elneny had a big tournament in Afcon, he deserves more game time than lokonga.
        Especially when we are fighting for a big purpose.
        It’s quite debatable with his contract being end in the summer, but same thing can be said about our CF.
        Nothing against lokonga though, in fact MA could have give him some minutes why we were leading, but as usual until something is not going well, some players wouldn’t have their chances.
        Nketia included.

        1. Laca kept getting picked because we literally had no other options. Before the Chelsea game, Nketiah had offered absolutely nothing this season, and he’s also out of contract. So your comparison doesn’t even work.

          In midfield we’ve had options, including Lokonga, who is part of our future (if he performs), and Elneny is off, and like I said, not exactly world class anyway. Going with Lokonga was the right thing to do, and credit to Arteta for dropping him when it clearly wasn’t working.

          But utilizing his squad players is one area I would like to see Arteta improve on, because I think Pepe and Elneny could have had more game time this season.

          I agree, I would like to see Martinelli given a shot upfront, but he doesn’t have the hold up play to bring others into the game, whereas Nketiah and Laca at least have that, and maybe that’s why Arteta is reluctant to play him as our striker.

  49. Like Craig Burley, didn’t see that result coming. Credit where it is due.
    Excellent counter attacking football, but still missed chances. Holding. Elneny and Xhaka had very good games, particularly given the first two’s lack of game time.
    The big question is what happened in the previous three games, where the teams set deep, rather than attacking like Chelsea? Manchester United and the remaing games are must wins let alone the NLD.

  50. Credit to Arteta, made big changes to the starting lineup, tactics and formation. We were massive underdogs with our lack of experience, away from home, and not forgetting the injuries.

    I think Nketiah was the big surprise. Not for starting, but for his performance. Work rate, aggression, and obviously the goals.

    Please can we beat Utd!

  51. Good win , credit to everyone including the manager and the players.
    As it should be, they should get criticize and credit equally.
    I hate to sound negative but Arteta hasn’t really learn much with his usual mistakes.
    At 3-2 , he could have brought in one of pepe or lokonga at least to give them some minutes.
    Same thing happened to elneny before this match.
    Lack of trust in players except for some groups would definitely cost us more.
    He only changes things up when the plan has failed for couples of time before he realize them.
    Now looks like the bridge has collapse this season. I haven’t seen Chelsea on such a poor form at home in a while, when you check their home record this season, then you won’t be too surprise we won.
    I mean they just conceded 4 goals to brendford there before our game with them.
    They are 8th in terms of home win, and 2nd position in away .
    All in all kudos to everyone.

  52. What a performance specially from Eddie, ESR and Saka. The defence also stood firm. It was also good on Arteta’s part to play the more experienced Elneny instead of ASL. We are the Arsenal. I only hope for 2 things now:
    1. Eddie Nketiah should have his contract extended. Allow Laca to leave and get in a new striker.
    2. This winning run should continue till the end of the season and we are surely in the top 4.

  53. Ex Chelsea player says before match no chance arsenal will get anything I say eat your words tell me how they taste.

  54. Well done to the boys and the manager, got it right last night….still difficult to understand how we can get it so wrong against lower opposition but right against Chelsea.

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen Arsenal, Man U, Spurs and Chelsea be so consistently inconsistent over a season…who knows who will get 4th.

    1. I don’t know know about the rest but Chelsea shouldn’t be on the list.
      Their inconsistent lies at the bridge.
      They are 8th in position at home win.
      Which is very poor for their status.
      Now they have conceded 8 goals at home in their last two matches and they lost both.
      Our most impressive record has been at home so far, which is a good thing and amongst the reason why we are in for the top4.
      We have a relative poor away record too.
      But haven’t really affect us so much do to the inconsistent of others.

      Out of the 3, we seem to be the one to be doing better this season which is why we need to grab the opportunity of their poor form.

    2. Well, big teams plays often with confidence and plays more freely. Big teams attacks us which open spaces and corridors we can take advantage of, just like we did against Chelsea.

  55. Does anyone here still feels Vieira should be given the arsenal job just because palace defeated arsenal? what has palace done after defeating arsenal? fans atimes can be too hasty and short sighted

  56. Yes I still think so, you fail to see what we see, we are talking about the quality of the games. CP play good football even if they dont win, that’s what is what.

  58. Smash manure this weekend!

    The team was totally up for it.

    However, I will say it again, if AFC reverts to form away, concedes 1st, and does not get 4th, he needs to go, it will not get easier next year.

    On track for 58 goals scored and 46 goals conceded, Mikel’s previous 2 years were averaged at 55 goals scored and 45 goals conceded by years end.

    If we get 5-8th, statistically we are positionally better, but not really when taking in the entire picture.

    Watching this team over 110 games and not many had the intensity of yesterday, but if he gets the team to 4th then he gets 1 more year.

  59. Elneny, fine fantastic game he had.
    But I still believe Ben White would fit in better in that DM than Elneny.
    White played mostly in that position when he was in Leeds.

  60. Chelsea awful defending helped us , our defense was also bad , but chelsea couldn’t capitalize on their chances ..

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