Arsenal Vs Chelsea: Recap, highlights and analysis
by Andrew Dowdeswell3d ago
Arsenal took on Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday evening. Here is the full recap, all the highlights and analysis from the 2-1 win.
What a win! Questions abound. Doubts engulfed. Uncertainty entangled. And yet, Arsenal were magnificent. Dominating in midfield, fluid in the final third and resolute in defence, Arsene Wenger’s side were phenomenal. They patrolled the pitch with great assurance and confidence, keeping Chelsea at arm’s length. They were vicious on the attack, determined with the ball and fantastic throughout.
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Arsenal started the game in an excellent manner. They calmly moved the ball from side to side, with Granit Xhaka orchestrating proceedings from a deep-lying midfield role, waited patiently for their opening before grasping it with eager arms.
Alexis Sanchez, the eventual goalscorer, darted inside, tried to dink a pass into Aaron Ramsey, challenged for the resultant 50:50 with the ball squirming into the box. Ramsey, having made the run in behind the Chelsea defence, was at this point offside and started towards the loose ball. Sanchez, though, who had continued running after winning the initial challenge, ordered Ramsey to leave the ball before smashing the shot past Thibault Courtois.
Initially, the assistant had flagged for offside against Ramsey, but after prolonged discussions with Anthony Taylor, the goal was eventually given. Chelsea had arguments regarding a possible handball from Sanchez as he jumped for the ball and controversy and confusion reigned, but as the dust settled, it was the perfect start for the Gunners.
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And the goal inspired confidence in the Arsenal side. In their two free-roaming roles, Mesut Ozil and Sanchez were masterful, finding the ball in between the Chelsea lines to great effect, Granit Xhaka continued to dictate play well from deep while Aaron Ramsey was his ever-busy self, buzzing around the park, linking up play, creating angles with his movement off the ball.
Ozil had a great chance down the right channel when released by a patient Sanchez, but his first touch took him a little wide and the dinked shot over the onrushing Courtois was excellently flicked clear on the line by Gary Cahill. Marcos Alonso was then forced into action, sliding in on Danny Welbeck after Ozil slid a cute pass down the channel, before the post was struck by a Welbeck header from the resultant corner with Aaron Ramsey unable turn home to awkwardly bounced ball.
But for all of Arsenal’s dominance, there were cautionary moments. Eden Hazard looked smooth on the ball, sliding it past defenders with his slithery, low centre of gravity, Diego Costa had an acrobatic effort, after out-muscling Rob Holding from a long ball, brilliantly blocked by David Ospina, who was hurt in the process, and they did engineer opportunities on the break that were wasted with a loose touch or untimed final pass.
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