Chelsea’s performance against Arsenal on Sunday sent a clear message about their intentions and ambitions for the season.
Idman.Biz reports that despite facing arguably the best team in Europe with 10 men, the Blues held their own and came away with a key result.
Chelsea breached an Arsenal defence that had not conceded a single goal from set-pieces in October, scoring via a corner — Arsenal’s usual strength. Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring, turning the hosts’ own weapon against them.
The key to Chelsea’s success was their innovative approach to defending Arsenal’s corners, devised by Enzo Maresca. Chelsea pushed their front-three high during Arsenal’s set-pieces, forcing the Gunners’ fullbacks to stay up the pitch and preventing dangerous counterattacks. This also reduced congestion in the penalty area, allowing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to claim corners with ease.
The tactic proved highly effective, showcasing how Chelsea can both exploit and neutralize one of Europe’s most lethal set-piece threats. Arsenal, known for creating confusion in the box — a strategy that even left Manuel Neuer helpless against Bayern — found themselves outsmarted by Chelsea’s defensive ingenuity.
This performance not only earned Chelsea a crucial result but also highlighted their tactical adaptability and ambition for the season ahead.
