It was one of those games, even amid a needlessly relentless period of football, where you can see certain storylines coming together.
Above all, Arsenal’s 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge goes some way to setting up the first of a possible series of showdowns with Manchester City for trophies. They each have a foot in the Carabao Cup final.
Newcastle United and Chelsea may yet have something to say about that, but the latter will have to improve on this display. It was a tough first home match for Liam Rosenior, even if Mikel Arteta will rightly be livid that Arsenal did not just completely shut this game out. The nature of Alejandro Garnacho’s two goals will only make that worse. It was a bizarrely close end scoreline, when it often felt like it could have been a 4-1.
That represented an encouraging display of spirit from Rosenior’s side, even if they have a lot to do tactically.
Arsenal’s frustrations will be all the deeper since they often had Chelsea at a comfortable arm’s length after initially pressing them so intensely that Rosenior’s side just couldn’t get out. That was the real difference between the sides, and really shows the amount of work that the young coach has to do. That is the level he really has to get Chelsea to.
From that, there was of course a corner, from which Arsenal of course scored. The only surprise was that it was Ben White heading it in, rather than Gabriel.
That is maybe where there is a bigger question, too. For a change that was supposed to bring an element of tactical continuity, Chelsea looked disconnected. It took them a long time to figure out that press. They struggled to play out in the way Enzo Maresca had managed against Arsenal in November, for a 1-1 draw that was certainly much closer in general play than this 3-2.
There were about 10 minutes when Declan Rice seemed to be winning absolutely everything right in front of the Chelsea area.
It didn’t help that there was a longer spell when Robert Sanchez seemed to be winning almost nothing in his own area. Purposeful as White was for the goal, the goalkeeper did not come for it with authority. He found himself crowded out.
Worse was the second goal. After what was one of a few slick Arsenal attacks, White this time played the ball in.Viktor Gyokeres was getting there in a way he has been criticised for not doing in the Premier League, but he might have this time been too eager as the ball looked like it would end up behind him.
Instead, Sanchez’s intervention played it right into his path, for the beleaguered striker to hammer the ball in from a yard.
You could sense the pent-up agitation in the finish. Gyokeres even briefly did his mask celebration, only to think better of it.
He needed that. You could see it in his teammates’ celebrations.
Rosenior needed some kind of response, or else this first home match had the look of one that was a proper reality check. There were boos at half-time. Fans were singing about co-owner Behdad Eghbali not being welcome at the club.
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Had Arsenal gone on to win in the convincing manner they threatened, there probably would have been more discussion about Chelsea needlessly blowing up their season.
That wouldn’t have been to doubt Rosenior’s ability or even the possibility that he can be a great Chelsea manager, but more about the short-term challenges when they had been in a broadly positive position.In maybe the most significant development of the night for the club, though, Rosenior got that response. His substitution paid off. Garnacho set off, and Chelsea dug in.
They were aided by an element of fortuitousness to both goals, as they capitalised on an usual fractiousness in Arsenal’s backline for a strong side. Kepa Arrizabalaga may have been booed by fans of his former club but he was solid. Garnacho, however, was precise.
He took his two chances well. In between, in what might end up the real difference maker, Martin Zubimendi scored a goal that showed the difference between the teams in another way.
Arsenal just surged through Chelsea in a way that had Arteta purring.Gyokeres also did his bit in another way, as he held the ball up and laid it off for Zubimendi. The Spanish midfielder took a touch, checked himself, then finished superbly.
From that, it could be argued Gyokeres had his best all-round game in some time. The scoreline still should have been better for Arsenal. The game could have been a lot worse for Chelsea.
There were consequently a few notes of encouragement for Rosenior, amid so many displays of the work he has to do.
The game ended with the coaches actually having to separate Zubimendi and Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea are going to need a lot more fight in the second leg.
