We had an absolute unbalanced mess off a squad when Mou returned, no top class CM, no top class striker, Terry looking like he was past it, attacking midfield we had Mata who was great but since has been proved he isn't top top bracket, Hazard who is but was really young infact bar Cech we had not one top bracket player anywhere near the prime, infact the more I look back at that squad the more I think Rafa performed a minor miracle getting us 3rd and EL. Jose with a £36m net spend has turned that unbalanced mess (£9m per transfer window for perspective) into genuine title contenders, the fact that there is a general reluctance to credit him for that is quite frankly mind blowing.
Man those stats are just incredible. Matic is for now at least monumental for our teams perfomance it seems. We should still get through the next few games and doing OK though.
There are few matches in the Premier League these days that stoke the coals of the many football supporters alike as Chelsea versus Arsenal. This match seems to always have a few surprises and I dont anticipate this match being any different with both teams wanting to prove a point to the opposition. Its the battle of the last two undefeated clubs in the Premier League as Chelsea host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on tomorrow. With both teams involved in midweek European clashes, the potential is there for the team that starts the brightest to get ahead in the early portions of the game. Chelsea travelled to Lisbon on Tuesday and put in a solid yet nervy performance that saw them escape the capital with a 1-0 victory. Meanwhile, Arsenal played host to Galatasaray on Wednesday in a game where they made short work of the Turkish champions winning 4-1. So Chelsea travelled whereas Arsenal didnt, Chelsea however, will have the extra day to rest having played on Tuesday. OPPOSITION SCOUTING Arsenal havent gotten off to the best of starts this year yet they still remain undefeated having played Everton, Man City, Tottenham and Leicester City to score draws and beating Crystal Palace and Aston Villa 2-1 and 3-0 respectively. They are a possession-based team who like to push many bodies forward to create overloads in the wide areas. At their best, Arsenal will move the ball quickly and accurately with one-two touch precision while slipping well weighted through balls to on rushing attacking mids or strikers. They will look to get in behind teams with the pace they possess, Welbeck will drift, Chamberlain is direct and Sanchez is crafty. This season has proven them to be a resilient group having rescued 5pts from losing positions already. If they have weaknesses it will appear in depth, where they seem to always have 1st team regulars out with injuries, and also in overall team defense. They struggle mightily defending set pieces, keeping clean sheets and are susceptible to counters. While they can look brilliant going forward, the midfield lacks a true anchor to build attacks from. Rarely do we see the likes of Arteta, Wilshere or to a lesser extent Ramsey, win a ball or break up the opposition counters with a saving tackle. It is for this reason why many believe Arsenal, though still very dangerous, arent well equipped to win the league. Well, that and the fact they have so many walking wounded. On count now Arsenal will be without Ramsey, Walcott, Arteta, Debuchy, Giroud and possibly Diaby(a forgotten man for sure) with Wilshere less than 100% it becomes very hard to compete on all fronts with less than a full squad. What they do have is minimal drop off from the preferred XI and the squad players. The likes of Cazorla, Chamberlain, Podolski, Flamini and Welbeck have provided decent cover for the injured players.
xdottenx got a reaction from darrus in The Pre-Season Thread