Arsenal vs Chelsea (0-0): Three Key Talking Points

Chelsea moved to within two wins away from clinching the Premier League after a 0-0 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates. The result ended the Gunners 8-game winning run and any hopes they had of running Chelsea close for the title. Although the game didn’t have any goals, there was no lack of entertainment for the fans who flocked to the Emirates in anticipation of Arsene Wenger finally ending his winless streak against a Jose Mourinho-led side.

Instead of showing how close the Gunners are to Chelsea, the game merely highlighted how far the North London club have to go, to come close to winning the league. Here are the major talking points from the game.

1. The case of the Penalty that wasn’t?

There are football games that pass, without much happening and referees doing very little to earn their day’s work. But Sunday wasn’t one such occasion as Michael Oliver had four penalty claims to deal with. While some were straightforward, others simply made you question how did that just happen. Before I go into whether the referee made the right call or not, let me just say how refreshing it is to note that Mourinho didn’t moan about any of those decisions in his post-match interview.

The day’s first big call came when Oscar went down in the area from Hector Bellerin’s challenge. Much like the Fabregas’ one a little later, this was a case of minimal contact, resulting in players going down too easily. And Oliver made the right call in not giving a penalty. The Gary Cahill appeal was a case of ball to hand from close range and the referee was once again justified in not giving a spot kick. But Oliver, who has been one of the best referees in England this season, made a huge mistake in the third appeal. After being put clean through on goal, Oscar lifted the ball over David Ospina, who clattered into him before Bellerin headed the Brazilian’s goal-bound shot away. If this was any outfield player, there would have been no questions asked. But because it is the keeper, Oliver decided to award a corner instead of a penalty to the visitors. While one bad decision shouldn’t take anything away from his performance, referees, all over the country, need to stop blowing the whistle every time someone comes close to a goalkeeper.

 

2. Fabregas proves Arsenal don’t need him

If Fabregas left Emirates to win trophies, he has certainly done that. But his performance on Sunday showed the Gunners just why they did the right thing in not bringing back. Aside from the fact that second comings aren’t always as good as the first, the Spaniard is simply not the player they need as they continue their bid to challenge Chelsea for the title. While Fabregas is an undoubtedly gifted creative midfielder who has the vision to pick the lock of any defense, he is neither versatile nor mobile enough to have fit into Arsene Wenger’s plans.

The central midfielder’s pass to Oscar, a delicately dinked ball over the top, which resulted in the Brazilian being clattered by Ospina was perhaps the best pass of the game. At the same time, he was, on more than one occasion dispossessed quite easily and wasn’t strong enough to not let the boos affect his game on his return to his former stomping ground. While Jose Mourinho has surrounded him with players, who will do the dirty work for him, it is unlikely that Wenger would have done the same. And that is why, he is better off where he is and the Gunners can stop berating their manager for not bring him back.

3. A game of two halves

After flexing their defensive muscles last weekend against Manchester United, many expected the Blues to sit back and defend. Instead, what happened was the league leaders showing everyone why they are going to win their third Premier League title. If this was a case of two halves of completely different football, it was because Mourinho decided it should be. Much like last weekend, Chelsea controlled how the game panned out, even if they didn’t exert control on the ball throughout the game.

If the first half showcased instances of  open, entertaining and exciting football from both sides, the second half was a case of the Portuguese manager deciding that a draw was enough. Throughout the 90 minutes were examples of why John Terry is still the best central defender in the league, how far the Gunners have to go before they can challenge for the title and quite simply, the gulf in class between the two sides. Although both have exciting offensive players, there is only one side you’d want to defend a lead or keep things tight at the back. Whether you consider them boring as some home supporters did or not, you simply cannot deny that they know how to win games and in Mourinho, they have a serial winner.