Arsene Wenger’s 1,000th match in charge of Arsenal ended in an embarrassing capitulation to Premier League title rivals Chelsea as his team were blown away amid bizarre controversy and shattering embarrassment.
Once more Arsenal crumbled away to a title rival – having lost heavily to Manchester City and Liverpool – in 12:45pm kick-offs this season. That is 17 goals conceded in just three matches; half of all the goals they have conceded in the league this season.
“Specialist in failure,” chanted the Chelsea supporters – with Jose Mourinho going for the jugular as he heaped on the pressure and demanded more goals. It worked. It was the first time Chelsea have scored six times in a league match under Mourinho and it was their biggest home win ever under the manager.
There was controversy also with Kieran Gibbs mistakenly sent-off in the first-half after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had clearly dived to handle an Eden Hazard shot that resulted in a penalty being awarded.
Referee Andre Marriner can now expect to be demoted from Premier League officiating duties and, while Gibbs card will be rescinded, Oxlade-Chamberlain will presumably be punished. Even then, though, the shot was heading wide and technically only warranted a booking.
The controversy masked an appalling performance from Arsenal who delivered the kind of wretched display that will have Wenger questioning whether he should continue as the club’s manager with his contract expiring at the end of this campaign.
Arsenal were simply blown away by Chelsea who scored twice inside the opening seven minutes – after Olivier Giroud had missed the first chance of the match with a weak low shot that was easily saved by Petr Cech.
Arsenal were guilty of their own undoing by squandering possession to allow Chelsea to hit them on the counter-attack.
The first goal came as Oscar released Andre Schurrle, after Oxlade-Chamberlain was dispossessd, who ran at the back-pedalling Arsenal defence. Samuel Eto’o held to stay onside and the ball was slipped to him. The striker composed himself, cut back inside and curled the ball beyond Wojiech Szczesny’s despairing grasp.
Chelsea went further ahead when, this time, Tomas Rosicky lost the ball and Nemanja Matic broke to find Schurrle. Laurent
Koscielny, who struggled, backed off and Schurrle simply shot hard and low and again beyond Szczesny.
Eto’o was then subbed injured, shaking his fist in triumph before the controversy unfolded. This time Santi Cazorla lost the ball and Eto’o’s replacement, Fernando Torres, cuts back inside. He found Hazard whose shot was handled by Oxlade-Chamberlain at full stretch.
Marriner delayed, listening to his ear-piece before, amazingly, red-carding Gibbs despite Oxlade-Chamberlain clearly saying “hey ref it was me”. A bewildered Gibbs eventually left the pitch and Hazard easily stroked home the penalty.
Again Arsenal were at fault for Chelsea’s next goal with Arteta failing to track Oscar who ran onto meet Torres’ low cross slamming the ball high into the roof of the net from close-range.
It could have been more with David Luiz, playing in midfield, forcing two smart saves from Szczesny. But the goalkeeper was then at fault as he allowed Oscar’s shot from the edge of the penalty area, which bounced in front of him, to rise up over his dive to again find the net. To add to the wretchedness the opportunity came after Rosicky had again lost possession cheaply.
The humiliation continued. Once more Arsenal were culpable with their ridiculous defensive high-line undone as substitute Mohamed Salah simply ran onto Matic’s long ball forward. Clear on goal he had time to pick his spot and score his first goal as a Chelsea player. Mourinho’s thrilled reaction on the touchline said it all.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...ch-report.html
Pride of London
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Anyway chelski were only playing against 10 men. And I still fancy Man city after the blow utd away.
