Chelsea and Arsenal fought out an enthralling 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge, in which both sides will feel disappointed in only picking up one point from the match.
Pedro had Chelsea’s best chance of the game during the first half, as he found himself powering through one on one with Petr Cech, but the former Chelsea number one stood firm. Despite a period of the first half in which the blues were dominant, they lacked that ruthlessness and cutting edge that we have become so accustomed to seeing under Antonio Conte. This let Arsenal back into the game, and as the Gunners gained more confidence, they started to cause problems of their own.
After the introduction of Tiemoue Bakayoko at half time, Chelsea looked more balanced in the midfield but failed to create many chances. Meanwhile, Arsenal looked even more threatening, as Danny Welbeck had a free header that he could not hit the target with, followed by Aaron Ramsey striking the post, and Alexandre Lacazette missing a guilt-edged rebound opportunity.
The major talking point of the game came in the 87th minute, with David Luiz recklessly going into a challenge on Sead Kolasinac, with his studs showing, and Michael Oliver showed no hesitation in showing a red card to the Brazilian. Chelsea managed to hold on to ensure the spoils were even, and will most likely be unhappy that they did not beat an Arsenal side who had looked vulnerable in recent weeks.
Here are four things we learned from the game on Sunday.
Tiemoue Bakayoko unfortunate to not start
After the fine start Bakayoko has made to his Chelsea career, the decision to drop him to the bench by Conte seemed extremely questionable at kick-off. The Blues lacked an extremely big and strong presence in the central midfield, and there did not seem to a good balance to the side. Coming on at half time, the Frenchman made an instant impact, winning the ball, and ensuring that the ball moved forward quickly from the midfield. In the big games, Conte needs to rely on this man more, and with the game against Manchester City on the horizon, he needs to seriously consider Bakayoko for that game.
The old David Luiz returns?
The senseless challenge by the Brazilian could have cost Chelsea today, and his actions also mean that he will miss one of the toughest tests this season against league leaders Man City in two weeks time. It was needless, and although there was a question of Alexis Sanchez pushing him just before, the rash nature of the tackle ensured the red card was totally deserved.
Alvaro Morata not at Diego Costa’s level yet
What Diego Costa brought to Chelsea was his hunger to fight, and to find any way to win, no matter what the cost. He was capable of bullying defenders right from the first minute of a game. Although it is way too early to judge our new Spanish striker, today, it was clear to see that the ability to really strike fear into the Arsenal defence was not there. This is something he will have to work on and ensure he will eventually be the man Chelsea can rely on to create big moments against all levels of opposition.
Discipline needs to improve
If the Blues are going to mount a serious title challenge, then ensuring that they keep 11 players on the pitch for a full match is imperative to that. Two red cards in the first five games of a season is unacceptable and has arguably cost the side a possible five points already.
Conte must make sure his players show a high level of passion and intensity, but so far, the inability to keep control of their emotions at certain points is a concern for the club.
