Key events
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. I’m not 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.
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?
54 min Gabriel is late on James despite half-trying to pull out and he’s booked.
52 min Fofana is penalised for a foul and though he avoids a booking, Neto disagrees with the decision, gets right in the ref’s coupon to advise him of the fact, and earns himself a caution instead.
51 min “In this Premier League season,” says Gary Stover, “the home side has won 40% and lost 38%. Yesterday in the five games the home side lost three and tied two. Liverpool apparently enjoys the best home support of any, yet their only loss this term was at Anfield, and after winning in Paris, they lost at Anfield to PSG. Home advantage, caused historically by crowd intimidation of the referees, has been virtually eliminated by VAR, which has created a fairer game.”
I’m not sure the sample size is close to large enough yet, and there are other factors to consider too, like the number of top-level players in the world never having been higher. Also, home advantage is a psychological thing too – humans tend to perform better when comfortable and well supported.
50 min In comms, they’re wondering if Lewis-Skelly is ready for England duty, a question I find totally redundant nowadays: he’s playing at a far higher level in the Premier and Champions League than he’ll ever do at an international tournament. I do not think Mikel Arteta would, say, sign Jordan Henderson.
48 min …. but Odegaard’s delivery is poor, Nkunku easily kicking clear at the near post.
47 min Martinelli, probably Arsenal’s best player in the first half, is soon into the second, first winning a throw then a corner off Cucurella. Danger…
47 min Colwill lofts down the middle looking for Nkunku, on Saliba’s shoulder; the defender does just enough.
46 min We go again!
Half-time email:”Obviously, I want the team I support to win every game I watch, especially against a local rival,” says Kári Tulinius. “But when the only target the Gunners are shooting for is a silver medal, it’s hard to get too worked up. I can’t believe there’s another two months of this contest left to go. At least there’s the Champions League, until Arsenal inevitably fall before the irresistible force that is Real Madrid.”
I’m not sure I’d say Madrid are that – they’ve got amazing players, but little cohesion. I don’t think Arsenal will beat them but they could.
Half-time entertainment: there’s been a development at Parkhead!
HALF-TIME: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
It’s not been great, but Arsenal lead at the break.
45+3 min Since scoring, Arsenal haven’t done much. They need Odegaard and Rice to take control of midfield, but we’ve seen little of both.
45+2 min Martinelli takes on Cucurella and crosses, Sanchez again botching his flap, but Trossard can’t control and Chelsea eventually clear.
45+1 min We’ll have three additional minutes.
45 min Fofana lands awkwardly after contesting a header, clutching his midsection, but I think he’ll be OK.
43 min “I see what you’re doing VAR,” emails Zach Neeley, “taking a hands-off stance so that when you swing in later to micro-analyse something for seven minutes then make a nonsense decision, it’s all the more frustrating.”
My biggest problem with VAR – save the ruination of the world’s greatest feeling, a goal for your team – is as much a problem with laws, as regards drafting and application. I’ve been watching football 43 years and I’m also a qualified lawyer, yet I can see an incident from every angle, be certain what’s happened, and yet have no idea what the officials will decide is the case.
42 min Chelsea have, though, been a bit better these last few minutes.
39 min “Looks to me from my position lying on the sofa maybe regretting last night’s over-indulgence that Maresca has done to this Chelsea side what Guardiola has done to Jack Grealish,” says Adam Griffiths. “All the fun and unexpectedness has been sanded away leaving, well, this. Booo everything.”
Mourinho and Joe Cole is always my go-to example of that, although it’s worth noting that Cristiano Ronaldo did it to himself sometime in 2007-08. I agree, though, Chelsea should be fun to watch given the players they have, but the problem all managers, but especially those at the Bridge, struggle with, is building something without getting fired before it’s finished. It’s a tricky line to walk.
37 min Now it’s Raya behaving in dodgy manner, Neto’s shot blocked and bouncing up before falling for Cucurella to volley. He makes a decent contact too but the shot is straight at the keeper, who somehow allows it to squirm out of his grasp and will be relieved to see the ball spin just outside the far post.
36 min At Parkhead, Celtic have just made it 2-2, Rangers having led 2-0 at half-time.
34 min Strong challenge on Fernandez from Gabriel, who goes down and stays down; Fernandez, displeased, offers him some moral guidance as Odegaard slips a pass to Martinelli, who wellies over the top.
33 min It’s not remotely apparent what Chelsea are trying to do here. We’ve barely seen their central-midfield three, Caicedo, James and Fernandez all struggling to get on the ball.
32 min When that ball came in, Badiashile seemed to shove Timber, who spends a bit of time recovering; VART sees no reason to involve itself in proceedings.
30 min Rice finds Trossard on the left and he sees Colwill coming, flicking inside and through his legs, before wearing the inevitable scythe. Colwill is booked and the free-kick, swung into the box by Odegaard, yields a throw.
29 min On the other had, if Chelsea were playing into Nkunku, back to goal, he and Neto both have the ability to play the kind of one and two-touch passes that might open Arsenal up.
27 min I don’t want to get after Jadon Sancho, but he’s so undynamic. I was amazed Maresca wanted him given how he likes his teams to play, and his lack of power and intensity makes him of limited use against a side like Arsenal – especially off the right, where he is today, because he doesn’t have the gas or strength to go at Lewis-Skelly on the outside.
25 min Chelsea have offered nothing so far. Arsenal are faster, stronger, and more obviously bothered.
24 min Fofana fells Rice then treads on him. Rice fails to see the funny side, and VAR adjudges the force applied insufficient to impose a red card.
22 min No we did not contact our local turf accountant.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea (Merino 20)
It’s been a while, but set-piece again! Odegaard swings in, Merino runs towards, and his flick, intended as a flick-on, soars into the far side-netting. And that was coming – Arsenal have started with bad intentions, Chelsea haven’t started.
