Closed Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal

[NiclasCFC 2,582]

I know we have gained extra 3 points today but we started the weekend in 16th and could still end it in 16th. It feels a tad depressing in some ways.

Who cares about the table? 8 points behind City is all that matters.

[Jase 43,479]

Who cares about the table? 8 points behind City is all that matters.

It's only a minor annoyance but this.

I know but I just dislike the number on our left in the league table right now. It's 'ugly'!

[Barbara 15,149]

The Shield, aka the English Supercup, is an official match though.

the moment it's allowed to have six subs each team is not an official match in my book. A glorified friendly, but not official match.

[hdpeak 29]

http://www.watchonlinematch.com/match-of-the-day-motd-19915/

[Barbara 15,149]

Well, there was some comforting in the match today.

I think we improved considerably, but still far from the level required and that we should be playing.

But honestly, is it realistic to expect us to move from one extreme to the next in a couple of matches?

It took vacation time, pre-season and a few matches for us to reach bottom rock after we kept worsening in the calendar year, so I suppose climbing the mountain back where we belong it'll take some time - but also some changes.

We overachieved last season in the last few months with our easily exposed defense. We won't be able to do it again because once you get caught it's really hard to overachieve again. I think ever since the season started our problems were maximized by players being really crappy and showing no spirit and Mourinho insisting on the same old tricks. There have been some early changes on both instances and both still have a long way to go. But the signs to do the required changes are there imo.

Cesc is my MOTM. For me to give it to Zouma it would mean Arsenal actually threatened us and we handled them, which I didn't feel was the case. Their best opportunities - if you can call them that - came after they were down to 10, so the problem wasn't playing with one less player, but Wenger, as usual.

That doesn't mean Kurt wasn't very good, I'm a big fan of Mr. Happy and I think he's the future. José declarations that JT didn't play just because we desperately needed the victory is just him being smart and trying to take away ammunition from media to drag us in some negative reports again after a very positive week. He's smart, he knows they'll try to pick anything negative and blow it out of proportion and their only targets this week could have been Terry and Costa - which is why Mourinho said what he did on both players imo. He's trying to minimize their attempt to try to stretch our crisis beyond itself.

That said, there's a lot to be fixed yet and I believe we'll be fine in a few weeks. Hazard, Cesc, Matic and Azpilicueta all played much better than they have been. Even Ivanovic was better and if he reacts positively to being really threatened by José, and actually cuts off the atrocities from his defensive game, I'll try to endure him another season.

More than the slight quality improvement we showed, we needed this result, we need to start piling up wins not to aim the title (I really don't believe we'll compete for the title because City is just superior imo and are very suited to play EPL - the same way they're very much unsuited to play UCL, lol), but for us to boost our confidence enough to show our quality. Yes, we need quality boost as Henrique said, I just disagree that we don't need confidence. Confidence is the enabler to our quality improvement.

We got caught in our tactical and technical limitations, but when all your players except your keepers are playing very badly, when you're making a lot more mistakes than you usually do and running without the luck we had on our side, we look as catastrophic as did until last week. I think it's a long way until we're at the top again, but several small steps were taken today. I was content with our linkup in general in the first half, and the only reason we looked uninspired is because although the players improved a lot, they're still sloppy.

[Barbara 15,149]

I've been called on my lack of gif posting... well, better late than never, right?

@robdog

and a couple of memes/pics for the laughs

[Pacquiao 1,834]

Still a long way to go...

And we have to also hope United and Arse drop points as well.

While I'm not 100% happy with what happened today, a win's a win. 3 points in the bag and beaten my most hated team.

A win's a win LOL. I knew it wouldn't take you long to contradict yourself. In the Costa thread you are talking about morals and then here you are saying a win's a win. Oh dear.

[cfcs most wanted 657]

[Kezza 1,965]

Was watching with my Arsenal mate, after going down to 10 men he says if we score he's going home. Needless to say he didn't last til half time lol

[mccg 1,528]

Probly the biggest thing to take away from this week imho is that we our pressing and moving much better as a collective team(ie the basics and dirty side of football) and the rest follows

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I know we have gained extra 3 points today but we started the weekend in 16th and could still end it in 16th. It feels a tad depressing in some ways.

I'd suggest staying away from the table till about November...

[ZOS 580]

I'm sick of people saying it was 50/50 before the red card... we were beter by a mile fcs

[kingofchelseadom 41]

3 sweet points and our soccer was average. Nothing wrong there! Win ugly is still a win.

[Jase 43,479]

Still a long way to go...

And we have to also hope United and Arse drop points as well.

While I'm not 100% happy with what happened today, a win's a win. 3 points in the bag and beaten my most hated team.

Do think they will drop points. They aren't that consistent to go on a long winning run (I know Arsenal did it last season but that was when the pressure was off them) and just heads up - Arsenal and United play each other in two weeks' time.

[Pizy 18,538]

Do think they will drop points. They aren't that consistent to go on a long winning run (I know Arsenal did it last season but that was when the pressure was off them) and just heads up - Arsenal and United play each other in two weeks' time.

Same here. Neither of them are scary sides who I can see going on long winning streaks.

United especially. They're either good or embarrassingly poor each time I've seen them this season. If we can just build on yesterday's performance and get Diego and Hazard to sharpen up I think we'll reel the pack in. Though I think City are already out of reach.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Hopefully this win will have an impact on the players and the season, it was nice seeing them smile again. What I also loved and still has not been said here, us trying to shoor outside the box. In the last game it was horribly painful watching us trying to combine in the box, instead of smashing it. It seems Matic's screamer at the Goodison might have changed something. Even Cesc had several shots and boy we know he just never does that and passes instead. A couple of those shots were blocked but at least the players were not afraid to hit the ball.

Hopefully we continue that trend and practice it so that we become much better at playing fast, we need to eliminate those slow passing we do in the middle from our game.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

I was so happy for this victory because of how pissed off every arsenal fan was for the Gabriel red card. Thanks costa

[Jase 43,479]

Same here. Neither of them are scary sides who I can see going on long winning streaks.

United especially. They're either good or embarrassingly poor each time I've seen them this season. If we can just build on yesterday's performance and get Diego and Hazard to sharpen up I think we'll reel the pack in. Though I think City are already out of reach.

Don't want to get my hopes up or anything but an 8-point deficit after 6 games is nothing. City will drop points and let's not forget that they managed to catch up with us despite being 8 points behind last November. Still a long way to go.