Chelsea faced the difficult task of coming from a goal down at the home of the Premier League leaders; and ultimately fell short.
However, there was much to discuss about their tactical approach which garnered mixed opinions from fans and pundits.
Liam Rosenior took a pragmatic approach with the goal of staying in the game for the first half before bringing on his more creative stars to make a difference in the second.
Rosenior's flexibility
The Chelsea manager has been in the job less than a month so far, but has already demonstrated several different tactical approaches.
This was the second iteration of a back three that he has attempted since taking over at Chelsea which, overall, looked well-drilled in comparison to Rosenior’s first attempt against Napoli last week.
This time, the players involved were more suited to the system, with Jorrel Hato and Wesley Fofana as wide centre-backs. Both have experience of playing centre-back and full-back throughout their careers.
Rosenior’s adaptability has not just been visible through his starting lineups but also the changes he makes throughout a match.
The two comebacks wins in the last week, over Napoli and West Ham, were possible through his adjustments.
Against Arsenal, it felt like another attempt to manage the game in stages; to stay in it until Cole Palmer and Estêvão were able to come off the bench and help Chelsea push for a goal.
Liam Rosenior instructs his team as Cole Palmer is introduced. Source: Charlotte Wilson - Offside.
The two struggled to get into the game which, by the 60th minute, had become a very physical affair. However, it was a sensible way to go about it given the circumstances.
A direct gameplan
Robert Sanchez played 23 long balls in the match, most of them towards the right flank where Liam Delap challenged for the ball.
At face value, this feels like an effective way to play with two physically dominant strikers on the pitch. Their opponents, however, were certainly a match for them in that sense as Chelsea struggled to consistently win the aerial battle.
The squad available to Rosenior was likely part of the reason he chose to set up in this way against Arsenal, as he lacked out-and-out wingers.
Challenging the Arsenal defence to an aerial battle is not an ideal scenario for any team but could be an approach to keep in mind for future matches.
Chelsea's midfield dilemma
They showed, not for the first time, the benefits of playing with three more aggressive midfielders.
Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Enzo Fernández each played their roles in a resolute midfield performance, making it difficult for Arsenal to play through the centre of the pitch.
That said, it created a similar problem for Chelsea, who struggled to create meaningful chances without a technician like Palmer or Estêvão.
Palmer has provided the X-factor for Chelsea over the past two seasons, mostly from an attacking midfield role. Injury struggles this season mean Chelsea needed to find a way to play without him. This has typically meant Fernández stepping into a more advanced role, where he has put in some strong performances.
Rosenior continued to manage Palmer’s playing time against Arsenal, meaning he was introduced for the final 30 minutes.
Had his star forward been available for the whole match, the Chelsea boss would likely have taken a different approach. Palmer does not easily fit into the system Chelsea set up with to start the game. Therefore, he would have been pigeon-holed as a second striker alongside João Pedro.
There can be no doubt that Chelsea are a better attacking team when Palmer is involved but, on the other hand, there are defensive upsides to playing the midfield trio who started against Arsenal, and bring increased energy to the game.
It will be interesting to see whether Rosenior is able to strike a balance in this sense as the season progresses, particularly when up against tougher opponents.
Chelsea’s Brazilian forward stood out in the past week for his ability to drag the team back into games, playing a big part in wins over Napoli and West Ham.
This game required a different type of performance, as he was tasked with holding the ball up against some of the best and strongest defenders in the world.
He competed with Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba all evening, yet there were few occasions when he was unable to keep control of the ball.
João Pedro holding the ball up against William Saliba. Source: Clive Mason - Getty Images.
The task was made even more difficult for him due to the lack of direct runners in the Chelsea side. Pedro Neto’s absence was especially noticeable given the lack of pace in the team.
His pass map showed how often he was forced to pass to players behind him on the pitch.
While this is not unusual for a striker attempting to hold the ball up, having someone run beyond him would have created another option. Equally, it would take some of the attention away from João Pedro himself, potentially allowing him more space to work with.
While he came away without any goal contributions for the first time in a domestic game since the first leg of this semi-final, his physicality was undoubtedly still on display.