Well, given the circumstances, it was an unusual result for Chelsea.
Admittedly, Enzo Maresca’s side would have gone into the game looking for a win, but considering Arsenal are top of the Premier League, the points weren’t bad and kept them well within striking distance.
Furthermore, when Moises Caicedo was sent off in the first half, it felt like it was not a question of if, but when, the Gunners would take the lead.
There was sensational play from all over the host team’s pitch, including one monster who saved the Ecuadorian international from the center of attention.
Chelsea’s standout star
One of Chelsea’s best players tonight, and for that matter all season, was Robert Sanchez.
The Spanish shot-stopper has come under heavy criticism in recent years, but was excellent against the Gunners.
His passes were generally on point and his collection of crosses was efficient, as well as some top quality stops, such as Gabriel Martinelli’s shot in the first half.
Another very important player for the Blues was their fantastic captain, Reece James.
The Englishman again started the match in the middle of the park, which was, in the words of presenter Olivia Buzaglo, “huge”.
In 94 minutes of play, he provided an assist, made two important passes, won 100% of his tackles, won 11 of 12 duels, was not penetrated at all with dribbles, recovered the ball twice and completed 100% of his dribbles.
It was exactly the kind of performance the team needed from their captain after Caicedo was sent off in the first half.
But there was another starter who played an equally important role in the victory and truly saved the Ecuadorian blushes.
Chelsea player who saved Caicedo
After Caicedo was sent off, there was hope that Arsenal would eventually wrest control back from Chelsea and take control of the proceedings.
But the Blues clearly had other ideas.
Just three minutes into the second half, James fired a superb corner kick into the Gunners’ penalty area, and Trevor Chalobah stood up to head it home.
It was a well-worked set-piece and a great header that seemed to shock the visitors, giving the Stamford Bridge fans a cheer and a distraction from the red card.
But while that was the most memorable moment of his game, Chalobah wasn’t just scoring, he was also active at the back and showed great on-the-ball skills, coming out from behind on numerous occasions.
Unsurprisingly, he also made quite an impression on the watching press, with the Standard’s Dom Smith giving him a match rating of 8/10 at Full Time.
The statistics of the 26-year-old player also fully justify such an assessment.
Charova match vs Arsenal | |
|---|---|
minutes | 94 minutes |
the goal | 1 |
Tackle (win) | 1(1) |
clearance | 6 |
collect | 4 |
Ground Duel (Win) | 2(1) |
Aerial Duel (Win) | 5(4) |
dribble pass | 0 |
touch | 52 |
shot | 1 |
foul win | 1 |
All statistics by Sofascore | |
In 94 minutes of intense competition, the academy graduate won 100% of his tackles, completed six clearances, recovered the ball four times, won five of the seven duels, was not dribbled through, received 52 touches and won one foul.
It was another performance from the Englishman to prove he is more than just a stopgap until the club spend big on a new defender.
Or, as Gary Cahill said in an interview hours before the game, he is “Chelsea’s most underrated player”.
They may not have won in the end, but Chelsea put in a sensational performance to pick up a point against Arsenal, with Chalobah alongside the likes of Sanchez and James saving Caicedo from the headlines.
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