Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea: Match Highlights As Gunners Taste First Pre-Season Defeat

By The Editor
on 23rd July 2017

Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea – match highlights…

Arsenal suffered their first pre-season loss after Chelsea exacted some sort of revenge for the FA Cup final defeat with a comfortable 3-0 win Beijing.

Fresh from our penalty shootout win against Bayern Munich, Chelsea looked fresher than the team we fielded and that showed on the pitch.

Antonio Conte started with eight members that took to the field at Wembley, with no sign of a youngster getting a chance to show their worth.

We offered very little throughout the 90 minutes, which could be put down to the sickness in the camp which dogged Arsene Wenger’s selection choice.

Willian opened the scoring after he was set free on the left-wing, and with Nach Monreal failing to show him onto his weaker foot, the Brazilian took the invitation and curled the ball into the far corner.

Chelsea doubled their lead moments later after Cohen Brammal was caught in possession midway through our half, and the champions released their infamous counter-attack.

The ball found itself to Michy Batshuayi just outside the penalty area, and he curled the ball with his weaker foot past David Ospina.

Aaron Ramsey should’ve got us back into the game moments before half-time, but he hesitated inside the box which made it easier for Thibaut Courtois to thwart him.

Chelsea ended the contest three minutes after half-time, and it was the Belgian hitman Batshuayi once again from a counter attack.

Michael Alonso was set free on the left flank and with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in hot pursuit, Alonso used the speed he was charging in with to cut inside and leave him for dead.

The Spaniard then picked out the former Marseille man who smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

It was a disappointing display on our behalf, but it smacked of fatigue and jet-lag, with the boys probably delighted that the overseas leg of pre-season is now over.

The players will prepare for a week at London Colney before hosting the Emirates Cup with the visitors including Benfica, Sevilla and RB Leipzig.

That will then be followed by the big one, as we’re given a chance to cause Wembley heartache on Chelsea once again in the Community Shield.