Arsenal hosted Chelsea at the Emirates in a hotly-anticipated London derby, as Romelu Lukaku made his return to the Blues’ side after seven years away. While it was sunny days for the Blues, the mid-match downpour illustrated the Gunners selection woes—Lacazette and Ben White incapacitated by COVID, Gabriel injured, and Aubameyang still not fully fit following his own bout with the disease.
Mikel Arteta showed some baffling tactics, retaining Pablo Mari in the squad and directing the team to play a back four, despite the obvious threat offered by the Chelsea wing-backs. The team looked poor every time the Blues came forward, with very little effectiveness pressing, or closing passing lanes.
Gabriel Martinelli started at centre-forward, ahead of a similarly youthful trio of Saka, Smith Rowe, and Pepe, with hopes to make a decent impact. The Brazilian, having just returned from a gold-medal Olympic campaign, will likely look to cement his place in the squad this season.
Arsenal continued their losing slide with a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea.
The Gunners looked strong early on, with a few ugly turnovers by the Chelsea backline leading to a few opportunities, but the boys from west London looked to establish control, and steamrolled the home side as the first half progressed.
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Goals from Lukaku and Reece James pegged the Gunners back in the first half, and proved to be fatal. Bukayo Saka certainly should have won a penalty, though he was denied by poor refereeing from Paul Tierney.
The second half started with no changes from Mikel Arteta, but Arsenal looked a refreshed side, creating more chances and pegging back a Chelsea side admittedly playing in third gear, trying to coast to a well-deserved win.
Injuries to Kieran Tierney and Gabriel Martinelli hamstrung Arsenal’s hopes of a comeback, and though there were positive cameos from Nuno Tavares, Emile Smith Rowe, and Albert Sambi Lokonga, 2-0 was the final score at the Emirates, with Arsenal still yet to score a goal this Premier League campaign.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 22: Match Referee, Paul Tierney shows a yellow card to Pablo Mari of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on August 22, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Arsenal Goalkeeper & Defenders Ratings
GK: Bernd Leno – 6.0
Leno Island returns for another hit season. Did the best he could in front of a shambolic defense, and made a wonder save against Romelu Lukaku, but couldn’t do anything about either goal scored against him. Looked good in distribution, and was impatient with his defenders.
RB: Cedric – 3.0
Positionally incompetent out of possession. Failed to hold a proper high line for the first goal, and didn’t provide any support to Pepe going forwards. Might have earned a 5 or a 6 if Arsenal had won, but given his lack of positional nous sucked the entire backline over to the right side, leaving Reece James wide open, it’s a 3.
CB: Rob Holding – 4.0
Bettered his partner, which is a low bar. Won some good headers, and though he likely should have scored, actually defended when called upon. Tidy in possession as well.
CB: Pablo Mari – 2.0
Despite a few key tackles, Pablo Mari was absolutely shambolic. Defended poorly, took on a man-marking role which he failed at miserably, and his communication was absolutely nowhere. Shouldn’t have started, which isn’t his fault, but he fell short of even his meagre expectations.
LB: Kieran Tierney – 5.0
Defended poorly, playing more of the LCB role that he should have deployed in, which gave Reece James far too much space. Didn’t have any help from Saka or Xhaka, and was left in an entirely confusing 2-on-1 matchup. Attacked well as per always, and I hope the injury isn’t serious.
Chelsea backline leading to a few opportunities, but the boys from west London looked to establish control, and steamrolled the home side as the first half progressed.</p>
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<p>Goals from Lukaku and Reece James pegged the Gunners back in the first half, and proved to be fatal. Bukayo Saka certainly should have won a penalty, though he was denied by poor refereeing from Paul Tierney.</p>
<p>The second half started with no changes from Mikel Arteta, but Arsenal looked a refreshed side, creating more chances and pegging back a Chelsea side admittedly playing in third gear, trying to coast to a well-deserved win.</p>
<p>Injuries to Kieran Tierney and Gabriel Martinelli hamstrung Arsenal’s hopes of a comeback, and though there were positive cameos from Nuno Tavares, Emile Smith Rowe, and Albert Sambi Lokonga, 2-0 was the final score at the Emirates, with Arsenal still yet to score a goal this Premier League campaign.</p>
<div id="attachment_118480" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-118480" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/08/22/player-ratings-arsenal-0-2-chelsea-emirates/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2143,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1335694018.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2143" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1335694018.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1335694018-768x514.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 22: Match Referee, Paul Tierney shows a yellow card to Pablo Mari of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on August 22, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Arsenal Goalkeeper & Defenders Ratings</h3>
<h5>GK: Bernd Leno – 6.0</h5>
<p>Leno Island returns for another hit season. Did the best he could in front of a shambolic defense, and made a wonder save against Romelu Lukaku, but couldn’t do anything about either goal scored against him. Looked good in distribution, and was impatient with his defenders.</p>
<h5>RB: Cedric – 3.0</h5>
<p>Positionally incompetent out of possession. Failed to hold a proper high line for the first goal, and didn’t provide any support to Pepe going forwards. Might have earned a 5 or a 6 if Arsenal had won, but given his lack of positional nous sucked the entire backline over to the right side, leaving Reece James wide open, it’s a 3.</p>
<h5>CB: Rob Holding – 4.0</h5>
<p>Bettered his partner, which is a low bar. Won some good headers, and though he likely should have scored, actually defended when called upon. Tidy in possession as well.</p>
<h5>CB: Pablo Mari – 2.0</h5>
<p>Despite a few key tackles, Pablo Mari was absolutely shambolic. Defended poorly, took on a man-marking role which he failed at miserably, and his communication was absolutely nowhere. Shouldn’t have started, which isn’t his fault, but he fell short of even his meagre expectations.</p>
<h5>LB: Kieran Tierney – 5.0</h5>
<p>Defended poorly, playing more of the LCB role that he should have deployed in, which gave Reece James far too much space. Didn’t have any help from Saka or Xhaka, and was left in an entirely confusing 2-on-1 matchup. Attacked well as per always, and I hope the injury isn’t serious.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/08/22/player-ratings-arsenal-0-2-chelsea-emirates/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Midfielders </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-118479" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/08/22/player-ratings-arsenal-0-2-chelsea-emirates/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_981,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1335696116.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="981" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1335696116.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1335696116-768x471.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 22: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on August 22, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Arsenal Midfielders Ratings</h3>
<h5>CM: Albert Sambi Lokonga – 6.0</h5>
<p><strong>Man of the Match. </strong>Dragged out of the centre to cover for Pepe’s defensive ineptitude, and was made to cover for a rather errant Granit Xhaka as well. Looked very tidy in possession, but played about six different roles the way only Thomas Partey can do. His passing, though, was something to behold, especially in the second half.</p>
<h5>CM: Granit Xhaka – 4.0</h5>
<p>Really unfortunate performance from Xhaka. Got caught between left-back and central midfield too many times, and was ineffectual defensively. Managed to get caught too high when Chelsea transitioned, and did nothing to stop the constant balls into Lukaku’s feet. Rough.</p>
<h5>AM: Emile Smith Rowe – 6.0</h5>
<p>Constantly positive in transition, and was tidy on the ball, but simply did not receive the ball enough to be useful to the team. That said, he didn’t do anything particularly wrong, which can’t be said for most of the squad. Occupied Chelsea’s midfielders as best he could; another baffling 2-on-1 assignment.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/08/22/player-ratings-arsenal-0-2-chelsea-emirates/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Forwards </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-118465" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/08/22/player-ratings-arsenal-0-2-chelsea-emirates/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2359,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1331940496.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe" width="3200" height="2359" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1331940496.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1331940496-768x566.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 01: Nicolas Pépé of Arsenal during the Pre Season Friendly between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on August 1, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Arsenal Forwards Ratings</h3>
<h5>RW: Nicolas Pepe – 4.5</h5>
<p>Frustratingly slow throughout. Defensively anonymous, and stood still more often than he pressed. Created a few half chances, but nothing special.</p>
<h5>LW: Bukayo Saka – 5.5</h5>
<p>Our best attacker on the night, though that’s not saying much. Only player to get any sort of worthwhile shot off, and should have won a penalty too. His defensive support, though, was lacking throughout, and you can’t excuse the amount of space he left Reece James. That being said, he’s also not fully fit, and was rightly withdrawn for a returning Auba.</p>
<h5>ST: Gabriel Martinelli – 5.0</h5>
<p>Tough outing for Gabi. Looked a bit lost leading the line; accrued very few touches on the ball. A lot of aimless pressing out of possession, and generally didn’t have any type of impact on the game. Did his best, and hopefully won’t be sidelined too long.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/08/22/player-ratings-arsenal-0-2-chelsea-emirates/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Manager and subs </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-118481" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/08/22/player-ratings-arsenal-0-2-chelsea-emirates/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_968,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1335696061.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="968" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1335696061.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1335696061-768x465.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1335696061-268x162.jpeg 268w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 22: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal prepares to enter the pitch as a substitute during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on August 22, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Arsenal Manager and Substitutes Ratings</h3>
<h5>Manager: Mikel Arteta – 0.0</h5>
<p>I don’t ever give zeroes, unless they’re entirely warranted. Chelsea threatened down the right flank throughout the first half, and Arteta did nothing to stop them, despite the “tactical plan” he referenced multiple times approaching the game. He should have deployed a back-three, and he did not, but even after a shambolic first half, he changed nothing. To an extent, his hands were tied, but that’s not an excuse when he had the personnel available to stop the Blues’ attack. Too stubborn, and it’s cost him badly.</p>
<h5>SUB: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 6.0</h5>
<p>Decent cameo, if I’m honest. Managed a better shot than anybody bar Rob Holding, and looked to test Chelsea with his pace. Despite his recent return from Covid, he looked at pace, though he had next-to-zero influence on the game. Hopefully a good sign of things to come.</p>
<h5>SUB: Nuno Tavares – 5.0</h5>
<p>Looked quite good, and in a dream world, would have started at left wingback. I enjoyed his tidiness in possession, and his athleticism. Actually closed Reece James down quite well. Decent.</p>
<h5>SUB: Folarin Balogun – 5.0</h5>
<p>Ran a lot. Shame to see him come on, given the injury to Martinelli.</p>
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