Chelsea failed to score for the first time in a home game under Antonio Conte, as Arsenal held them to a 0-0 draw.
Chelsea started brightly and created a few openings through Pedro and Alvaro Morata, but Arsenal started to grow into the game and really should’ve taken the lead when Aaron Ramsey hit the post before seeing Alexandre Lacazette miss an open goal on the rebound.
The second-half started far more slowly, and the game hit a lull before the introduction of both Alexis Sanchez and Eden Hazard – easily the two most creative and unpredictable players among the two sides. Shkodran Mustafi thought he had given Arsenal the lead in the 76th minute when he headed home, but the offside flag ruled out what would surely have seen Arsenal collect their first win at Stamford Bridge since 2011.
The game ended on a sour note for Chelsea as David Luiz saw red for a horrendous studs-up challenge on Sead Kolasinac, continuing the recent tradition of Chelsea red cards against Arsenal – their third in three consecutive games against the Gunners.
Here are the player ratings from the game:
Thibaut Courtois – 6, the Belgian saw plenty of shots come his way but he was not actually called into action too many times, only having to make two saves.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 7, he won six aerial duels and was easily the most composed defender in the Chelsea backline today. He will need to step up to support Christensen during Luiz’s absence.
David Luiz – 5, a ridiculous decision to go clattering into a challenge so late on, his imminent three-game suspension will see him miss two of the season’s toughest fixtures in Stoke away and Manchester City at home. His typically superb passing accuracy was also severely lower than usual, as he misplaced several passes, retaining a pass accuracy of just 78%.
Gary Cahill – 6, despite Rudiger’s shortcomings on the ball, his play has improved over the last few games hence Chelsea’s run of three wins in three, and Cahill has now become far less integral to the Chelsea defence than he was previously. He won just one tackle and was clumsy in possession, giving the ball away far too often.
Victor Moses – 6, he was virtually anonymous throughout the game, as most of Chelsea’s play came from knock-ons and not out wide. He created a few chances but the game was mainly fought in the centre of midfield.
N’Golo Kante – 7, he didn’t play poorly and did his job well, but he allowed the midfield battle to be dominated by Aaron Ramsey – who was named as the Man of the Match.
Cesc Fabregas – 6, he played well and created the most chances in the game (4), but against a team as strong as Arsenal Fabregas is not the answer in the middle of the park, he was constantly overrun and Bakayoko’s introduction at half-time showed Conte exactly what he was missing in the midfield battle.
Marcos Alonso – 6, poor passing stats exemplified a sloppy performance from Alonso. The long ball nature of Chelsea’s play meant that the wing-backs were more than often bypassed, as Pedro, Willian and Morata contributed to most of Chelsea’s attacking play.
Willian – 6, his shooting was wasteful and he was rightly substituted early on to help Chelsea dominate in the midfield. Once Hazard returns to full match fitness, Willian will surely be sacrificed due to his lack of end product.
Alvaro Morata – 6, both him and Lacazette were poor in their hold-up play, with the Spaniard gathering a 55% pass accuracy. He won four aerial duels and came close with a headed effort that fell just wide.
Pedro – 6, he really should’ve scored when one on one with Petr Cech. Like Willian, his end product has been lacking this season, and the return of Hazard will surely help create more chances from midfield.
Substitutes:
Tiemoue Bakayoko – 7, came on and controlled the game from the start, he completed every pass and take on that he attempted during his 45 minutes on the pitch – the only player to do so.
Eden Hazard – 6, nearly recreated his goal against the Gunners last season, snaking his way through the Arsenal backline before his shot from 20 yards was saved. Hazard has looked sharp since returning from injury, but his final ball has been lacking at times, to be expected when not fully fit.
Andreas Christensen – N/A, came on with minutes to play, but his contribution over the next few games will be far more crucial as he tries to fill in for Luiz.
