While Chelsea offered very little in front of goal in the Premier League loss to Arsenal, there will be disappointment at the way they conceded the only goal of the game.
Mikel Merino’s glancing header seperated the two sides at full-time, however Enzo Maresca can have very few complaints at the result that saw his side remain fourth in the table.
There were questions asked of Chelsea’s goalkeeper in possession of the ball all afternoon, however Maresca praised Robert Sanchez for his personal performance at the Emirates.
The manager did not avoid criticism for his part in the defeat either, with Chelsea fans questioning Maresca for his lack of substitutions before the 76th minute.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Gary Cahill breaks down Chelsea defending of Mikel Merino goal
The only real piece of quality of the whole game came from Merino’s goal, with his flick from what looked an impossible angle to score from ending up nestling in the bottom corner.
Chelsea legend Gary Cahill was providing punditry on the game for Sky Sports, and asked questions of whether Levi Colwill could be covering on the back post to clear away any danger.
He said: “We didn’t mention at half-time, Chelsea never had anybody on the post. Maybe if they had someone on the back post, that could have been the solution. We looked at Levi didn’t we, obviously he got attracted to the striker which you would do.
“I don’t know what the setup was but if you look at Levi here, he maybe could have dropped onto the back post, but he has to mark the player. Ultimately, it’s about the first contact, the first contact is key.”
Photo by Tom West/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Tom West/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Chelsea’s set-piece woes continue
While Arsenal have established themselves as strong outfits from set pieces, it was a familiar theme for Chelsea fans to see their side concede from a set piece.
The Blues have now conceded eight goals from those scenarios this season, seeing them sit sixth in the league for most goals shipped.
While Maresca had what many would think is his best four defenders on the pitch against the Gunners, it felt like they were missing the height and aerial dominance of Tosin Adarbioyo in key moments at the back.
It remains to be seen if the free signing is brought back into the starting side after the international break when the Blues host Tottenham.