Arsenal vs Chelsea FC: 5 talking points from the match at Emirates
2. A defensive treat with Terry being the Protagonist
Arsenal are criticized for their defensive fragility where their center backs leave huge gaps between them which often leads to them conceding goals. But this time, the defensive duo of Mertesacker and Koscielny were brilliant in closing down the main Chelsea threats like Hazard and Oscar. Especially Koscienly deserves a special mention due to his impeccable positioning, where he placed himself in between the ball and the opposition player perfectly.
On the opposite side, John Terry had a fantastic game. He was the stalwart of a rigid and impregnable Chelsea defense. Flawless positioning along with last ditch tackles made to perfection, it is incredible as to how he is coming up with such performances especially when he is on the wrong side of 30. No wonder he was the ‘Man of the Match’.
Chelsea’s defense in this match was almost exemplary. It was almost like clockwork. When one of the center backs go a bit forward to make some deep passes, the central defensive midfield (may it be Matic or Zouma) player automatically fills in the empty slot and retains the shape of the whole defense.
Courtoise did not have to do much all throughout the game, as he was well guarded by an impenetrable Chelsea defense.