Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea
Diego Costa 23’
Man of the match: Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
There was a different face in the Chelsea dugout this time, but the outcome was again the same.
For the ninth successive time in the Premier League, Arsenal could not overcome their rivals from a few miles down the road.
While Arsenal have beaten the other 26 teams to have competed in the Premier League in the last four seasons, Chelsea have found a way to resist ever since a 5-3 defeat in October 2011.
Jose Mourinho, Wenger’s arch-nemesis, may no longer be present, but the stranglehold has not disappeared now that Guus Hiddink is the man in charge at Stamford Bridge.
The biggest thorn in Arsenal’s side remains, and its continued embedment could prove to be a significant setback in their quest for a first league title in 12 years.
After Manchester City dropped points for the third time in five games against West Ham United on Saturday, this was supposed be the match where Arsenal stamped their authority on this year’s race for the title.
Instead, a 1-0 loss to a talented Chelsea side who were nonetheless 14th in the table before kick-off means that many of the same question marks endure.
“We fought until the last second,” Wenger said, attempting to find the positives. “Despite the disappointing result we should believe in ourselves even more after this game.”
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This was always going to be a difficult task when Per Mertesacker was dismissed for a professional foul on Diego Costa after 18 minutes.
In truth, though, Arsenal had looked nervy even before their numbers were reduced.
The hosts’ attacking moves tended to break down when they reached the final third, with Chelsea more composed and incisive as they focused on getting the ball forward quickly to Costa, who ran the channels magnificently.
Oscar and Willian both forced Petr Cech into action in the opening stages, with Arsenal unable to muster a shot on target until three minutes before full-time.
Down to 10 men and forced to reconfigure both his side’s defensive and forward lines, Wenger would have been hoping Arsenal kept things tight at the back while they acclimatised to their new challenge.
Costa, however, had other ideas, cementing his position as public enemy No 1 at the Emirates Stadium by guiding Branislav Ivanovic’s cross into the back of the net shortly after Mertesacker had trudged down the tunnel.
From there, only one outcome looked likely.
Arsenal lacked fluency going forward, creator-in-chief Mesut Ozil marginalised and Theo Walcott kept quiet by a Chelsea backline that rediscovered the type of defensive resolve that dragged them to the title in the second half of last season.
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In front of the back four, Nemanja Matic, John Obi Mikel and Cesc Fabregas helped Hiddink’s men to dominate possession, with Arsenal inevitably growing increasingly tired as time ticked on.
Playing with one man fewer for so long is never easy, and Arsenal were full of effort and spirit in the second half. How they react to this defeat will be more significant than the defeat itself.
Nevertheless, this still felt like a major missed opportunity.
Rather than displaying the type of solidity that had seen Arsenal record three clean sheets in their previous four Premier League outings, a high-profile error from a defender was the turning point.
Rather than finding the right balance between midfield craft and graft in a high-profile encounter, Arsenal again looked open and vulnerable in the centre of the park.
Rather than extending their unbeaten run to five matches and piling the pressure on chief title rivals Manchester City, Arsenal reversed it back upon themselves.
“That’s why we’re champions,” sang the gleeful Chelsea fans, celebrating their team’s third win in 10 Premier League matches.
There is still a long way to go and their objective remains attainable, but this game may also epitomise why, come May, Arsenal are not.
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