Source link : https://footsoccer.net/2025/03/17/trending-news/arsenal-1-0-chelsea-merinos-flick-ensures-three-factors/

Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Video

After three video games with out victory, it was good to get again to profitable methods with a 1-0 defeat of Chelsea yesterday afternoon.

Like many individuals I’m certain, the league video games really feel like a little bit of a grind now, verging on anti-climactic, however I’m not thus far gone that I can’t get pleasure from beating Chelsea. Was it a terrific recreation of soccer? Removed from it, however taking three factors from a crew as completely disagreeable as that’s at all times price having fun with, in my view.

Mikel Arteta restored Gabriel Martinelli to the beginning line-up, with Ethan Nwaneri on the bench, however that apart the crew was principally as predicted. I assumed we have been fairly energetic to start out with, and Chelsea’s major tactic gave the impression to be simply being whining twats. Fernandez fouled Partey off the ball, Marc Cucurella went in only a contact late on Jurrien Timber in an aerial, and Enzo Maresca was bleating a few throw in and the place it was being taken from. That was all within the opening seven minutes.

Martinelli compelled Sanchez right into a save when the Chelsea keeper gave the ball straight to him, and some minutes later the Brazilian drove into the field, his low cross compelled a scramble which they simply about cleared. Replays then confirmed Cucurella clearly leaning into the ball along with his arm, then falling over and claiming he was fouled. He wasn’t, and he was fortunate to not concede a penalty. You’ve seen them given for lots much less.

Leandro Trossard, who had missed a good probability within the opening minutes, miscued on the again put up from a Timber cross, and Declan Rice shot simply extensive. On 20 minutes the one objective of the sport arrived. Good work once more from Martinelli gained us a nook, Martin Odegaard clipped the useless ball to the close to put up, and with Chelsea worrying in regards to the large lads camped within the six-yard space, Mikel Merino flicked a header which went in on the far put up.

Chelsea weren’t completely happy, so Wesley Fofana determined to stamp on Rice’s hamstring after fouling him. It wasn’t brutal, however it was deliberate. VAR stated the incident lacked ample power to be thought of violent conduct worthy of a crimson card, however for me that’s one thing of cop out. I may very well be loopy, however I really feel should you intentionally stamp on any a part of an opponent along with your steel studs, you must most likely be despatched off – whatever the power. However then we’ve seen somebody put their studs into the face of an Arsenal participant prior to now and never endure any penalties, so what do I do know, eh?

Fofana then blunderbussed his method across the pitch for a couple of minutes, leading to Pedro Neto getting booked when he stated one thing to the referee. There have been some afters between Fernandez and Gabriel, after which after about 35 minutes the momentum of the sport swung Chelsea’s method. They put some extra effort into doing stuff with the ball than crying and moaning like large blue blubbering bitching infants, and nearly acquired a objective within the course of.

David Raya may have been a relieved man when Cucurella’s shot squirted via his fingers, between his legs, and past the far put up. We’ve had some shit to take care of this season of us, now we have been examined in lots of and assorted methods, however that may have been up there with the worst issues to have occurred on this marketing campaign. Conceding a objective to man whose surname feels like a sort of yeast an infection on a canine’s ringpiece would have been an excessive amount of.

Proprietor: “Vet, please assist Rover, he’s in lots of misery.”

Vet: “That is the worst case of Cucurella I’ve ever seen. We have to do an arse transplant, stat.”

Fofana landed awkwardly, which was at least he deserved, after which it was half-time. The second interval was niggly, tetchy, and low on high quality. Merino got here closest to scoring once more, a wise back-post volley was nicely saved by Sanchez, however that was actually about it. Chelsea made a load of modifications which did nothing to change the dynamic of the sport. They simply took off a few lads who had been a bit crap, and placed on another lads who have been simply as crap however in a barely totally different method.

We threw on Nwaneri for Martinelli, there have been a few moments once I assume Trossard must have performed a bit higher and which could have seen us make the sport secure, however it was stodgy stuff. Cucurella had a tame header which Raya took simply, Timber and Maresca had a bit of handshake on the sideline, and that – fortunately – was that.

Mikel Arteta stated afterwards:

Very completely happy clearly with the end result, with large components of that efficiency. I really like the angle of the crew from the start, the way in which we approached it, how aggressive we have been with our objective. We haven’t conceded nearly something other than that unusual save from David I might say, and that’s a giant credit score to the crew as a result of in my view they’re the very best attacking crew within the league.

I’m not essentially certain I agree along with his competition about Chelsea’s attacking prowess, particularly on a day once they had accidents to the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer, but when it’s a method of bolstering his facet’s defensive confidence with large video games developing towards Actual Madrid (and others), then I’m not going to go too deep into the weeds with that one.

Ultimately, it was a recreation of soccer that occurred and that we gained, and I don’t assume we have to analyse it a lot additional than that. We completely wanted three factors after latest outcomes, and after Nottingham Forest closed the hole with their win on Saturday, and that’s what we acquired. We may be completely happy, Chelsea aren’t, and typically that’s all you want. We now have an Interlull to cope with earlier than the ultimate a part of the season, and it’s good to enter that on the again of a win.

It simply stays for me to want you all a contented St Patrick’s Day, whack these snakes to the sleek sounds of Barry White – as is the Irish custom.

So, I’ll go away it there for now. We’ll have Arsecast Additional for you in a short time too. We’ve put out the decision for questions on BlueSky @gunnerblog.bsky.social and @arseblog.com with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or should you’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, go away your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.

Pod must be out mid-morning. For now, have a very good one.

The post Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: Merino’s flick ensures three factors first appeared on Foot & Soccer.

—-

Author : footsoccer

Publish date : 2025-03-17 07:09:48

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.