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Pat Nevin analyses Arsenal's change of tack at Chelsea

Arsenal's performance at Stamford Bridge was a little uncanny one would say. Usually, recent trip...



Pat Nevin analyses Arsenal'...
Soccer

Pat Nevin analyses Arsenal's change of tack at Chelsea

Arsenal's performance at Stamford Bridge was a little uncanny one would say.

Usually, recent trips to face Chelsea away have not ended with a satisfactory result with Arsenal's positional indiscipline often costing them dearly.

But on Sunday, Arsene Wenger's side cast off their attempts at fluidity and forged a strong and stable unit to not only earn a 0-0 draw but also come out as arguably the better team.

It's a stark contrast to the 4-0 humiliation at Anfield in their previous Premier League away trip as ex-Chelsea and Everton winger Pat Nevin told us last night.  

Pat Nevin analyses Arsenal's change of tack at Chelsea

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"So he's thrown in the towel, hasn't he, to some degree of what he wanted to do with open football, this Total Football, where there's movement and ability all round the place, with everyone capable of playing in every position," said Pat of Wenger's change in approach.

"But no, not this time. He needed a result, he needed some sort of a performance and it's exactly what he did.

"There was no space, real space for Chelsea to run into. The left wing back [Sead] Kolasinac did really well after a troublesome first 15 minutes against Moses.

"Actually, it looked like neither manager wanted to take too many chances."  

Arsenal's Granit Xhaka during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, London.  Jonathan Brady/PA Archive/PA Images

The discipline was especially evident in central midfield where Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka covered for each other in front of a strong back three in which Shkodran Mustafi.

"At all times, one of them was disciplined," said Pat of Ramsey and Xhaka, also pointing out that Alex Iwobi had a quiet game, having started ahead of Alexis Sanchez, but in the positive sense of doing a disciplined job in stopping opposition attacks.

On the booking for Chelsea defender David Luiz for catching Laurent Koscielny while attempting an overhead kick - prior to his straight red for a lunge on Kolasinac - Pat emphasised that he does not believe in arguments that bicycle kicks, overhead kicks should be banned. 

"I don't want it banned. I felt really sorry for David Luiz getting booked for that one," he said.

Tune in every Monday to hear the thoughts of Pat Nevin. 

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