Chelsea Teach Arsenal a Lesson: Defending and Counter Attack

Aston Villa 0 - Arsenal 0

Arsenal 1 - Man United 3

Chelsea 2 - Arsenal 0

One point from three games against three of the best five teams in England...

Not good enough.

Yesterday at Stamford Bridge we got turned over. Better performance than against United? Yes

Performance of deserving champions? No

In fact, none of our three performances have been up to scratch. Especially our defending, which is what I want to talk about a little bit today.

How often does the best defensive team in the league win the league?

Very often. Perhaps Liverpool are an exception, but they've a knack for playing like crap, so let's not compare ourselves to them.

These last two weeks, we have been shown how to play football. Sure we've done the majority of the pretty stuff, making 32 consecutive passes in a sweeping move that leaves all 10 of our outfield players in the opposing team's half, but ultimately we had no options and a bunch of players running down blind alleys into dead ends.

I don't want to talk about the January Transfer window today. I don't think signing a super striker would have made much of a difference for us, because if you want to win games, never mind banging in goals.

You can't defend like a bunch of hyperactive paedophiles, and you can't go two goals down after 30 minutes.

How many times have United and Chelsea conceded three goals in recent seasons? Probably not that many, and if you get yourself in that position, you have a mountain to climb.

A big old cliffhanging one.

I'm writing "stream-of-consciousness" right now, so I'm making little sense. But, the gist of what I want to say is this: We defended like perverts, and you can't win against good teams when you play so badly at the back.

Never mind signing fantastic forwards—even fantastic forwards can't win you a game when you are content conceding three goals at home, or two goals at Stamford Bridge when the ENTIRE league has probably scored three goals at Stamford Bridge this ENTIRE season.

The Match

I'm sure you all saw it. It was a spirited performance, had Nasri pulled the trigger 1 on 1 with Cesc, or had Arshavin hit the ball three inches to the left or right of Cech we would have been right back in the game.

However, I think over the 90 minutes, particularly because Chelsea scored first, we were second best.

I'm not talking about style of play. We played some nice stuff, and we had some opportunities. But half chances and quarter chances, nothing more.

Players breaking down the wing, lofting in a 40-yard high ball for John Terry and Carvalho to gobble up, when jumping against Andrei Arshavin. Then Bendtner coming on and you deciding to stop crossing the ball...

UMMMM.

The first goal was bad. Really, really, really bad.

Abou Diaby loses out to Terry.

Song stops marking Drogba.

Gael Clichy leaves his post, going...Well watch the replay. I HAVE NO IDEA!

Then you are 0-1 down. Behind in the title race, chasing the game in every possible manner. What happens?

Chelsea eats it up.

They sit back, they let Mikel, Ballack, Lampard, and the Chelsea back four soak up the pressure, and then they counter attack breaking with ferocious pace and letting Anelka Malouda and especially Drogba terrorize our defense.

We did better than we did when they came to our house in this respect, however, conceding that first goal after so little time, and so easily, really puts our "TITLE RIVALS" (and I'm really loosely throwing that word around in this instance) in the driving seat.

It was inevitable that one of these powerful, pacey Chelsea counter attacks was going to result in another goal. Much the same as one of the United counter attacks was going to result in a goal with Rooney, Park, and Nani causing us so much trouble.

It did come.

Drobga again. I had this guy. He's got a hex over our team. But I can't help but feel we make it easy for him every time.

First, Vermaelen leaves Drobga running to the man with the ball, and then Gael Clichy decided to join in on the fun and help Thomas out.

Comical Pro Evolution defending was what I thought. Bring the second man and let's put some extra pressure on the guy with the ball. Oh god, I forgot about my man. Oh shoot, you've just beaten me eight nil.

Still, Drogba had some work to do and he tucked it away finely, demonstrating some fantastic pace, power with his left foot, and, most importantly, close control.

Arsenal strikers, take note. Oh, that's right, we don't have any strikers. Oh well, I think we should sort out the defending first.

ArsenalAdam