Another big game, another big opportunity… and another London Derby.
The Emirates host Chelsea in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, and they better wipe their feet, before they enter the home of their superiors.
With regards to domestic success, The Blues are nothing more than our subordinates… and it’s time to put them back in their place, AGAIN.
They buzz around, make a lot of noise, but it’s often short-lived… just like the Bluebottle Fly.
Well, The Gunners have just the spray of passes, to bring that “Buzz” to an abrupt end.
We’re 3-2 up from the first leg, and yes it should’ve been more… but we still have a 1 goal advantage, nonetheless.
The Arsenal are on the back of thumping Leeds 4-0, in their own house. We disrespected them. We didn’t wipe our feet upon entry, we made sandwiches, and brushed crumbs on the floor, we finished all their juice… and we helped ourselves to their Netflix password.
The Blues are on the back of a narrow, flukey, chaotic, 3-2 win… over a struggling, West Ham team.
It’s been well documented that form goes out the window, in derby games… but I have a feeling that this game will be different. The Arsenal will simply have too much for the Bluebottles, and if the spray of passing doesn’t get them, the set-piece swatter… WILL.
There were three changes to the starting line-up, from the team that obliterated Leeds United… and because of the sheer volume of games, it’s imperative that we try to freshen things up for each competition.
Kepa Arrizabalaga started in goal, Timber right-back, Saliba and Gabriel, in the centre of defence… and Hincapie at left-back.
The midfield was Rice, Zubimendi, and Eze… and the front three was… Martinelli on the left, Gyokeres through the middle, and Madueke on the right.
I LOVE the fact that there’s 2 ex-Chelsea players in this line-up. They HAVE TO use the feelings of rejection from their old club, as a positive, to fuel thee performance of their lives… for The Arsenal.
The Emirates faithful were in full voice, and Chelsea had to not only deal with a cauldron of an atmosphere… but they had to also deal with being a goal down in this tie.
Our start to the game was excellent!! The Blues could only stand and admire, our attacking prowess, as we moved through them effortlessly… like a warm knife through butter, just like ‘Brick-Top’ said, in the movie ‘Snatch’. (Hahaha!)
Unfortunately, because of Chelsea’s defensive mindset, the slick football didn’t last long. Chelsea were 3-2 down in the tie, and despite needing a goal, they played 5 defenders at the back, they sat deep, and lacked ambition going forward.
On the rare occasions when they did go forward, we limited them to speculative shots, from way outside the box. It was evident that we were the much better team, and it was evident that The Blues were scared to death, to play football against us.
Maybe Chelsea were confused, and they thought NOT scoring, somehow aided their cup final ambitions. (HAHAH!)
Aaaaanywhooo… With Chelsea absolutely petrified, the game WASN’T much of a spectacle, and The Arsenal started to relax. The onus was on The Blues to attack US… we didn’t need to take any unnecessary risks… and we showed great professionalism, and great game management.
It was very much stop, start, in the game… and The Bluebottles buzzed around, and made it a scrappy affair. The Gunners remained unbothered, and patted their subordinates on the head, for their underwhelming efforts.
It was much of a muchness, in the first half, and it finished 0-0.
Of course I wanted to see our free-flowing football, and I wanted to see more goals for us… BUT, I also understood, that it was a “Want” and NOT a “Need”.
We did most of our hard work, when we beat them at Stamford Bridge… Again, the onus was on Chelsea.
The second half was more of the same… Chelsea continued to defend a 3-2 deficit, and we continued to be in a winning position.
Arteta made changes in the 69th minute, when Trossard replaced Madueke, and Kai Havertz came on for Gyokeres.
Again though…. NOTHING changed. It still wasn’t a spectacle, Chelsea were still petrified to play football, and the minutes still ticked away, nonchalantly.
Chelsea in the last 10-15 minutes of the match, remembered that they need a goal.
The Blues’ sudden willingness to attack, left spaces for The Arsenal to exploit… and exploit it, we did.
Martinelli was brought down by Chalobah in the box, but for reasons unbeknown to me… the referee decided that it WASN’T a penalty. It was then checked by VAR, and they mirrored the referee’s incompetence.
I shouldn’t be used to incompetence from the officials, but I am. Arsenal are just refereed differently… and I have a plethora of examples, to back up that statement… but meh, what good would it do?
We refused to feel sorry for ourselves, and got on with playing with our subordinates.
The clock approached the 90th minute, and the official held the board aloft, that displayed 7 minutes of injury time. I have no idea where on earth that time came from, but I just chalked it up to more awful, official… officiating.
We persisted with our swatting of the Bluebottles, with our dogged defending… but in the 97th minute, we caught Chelsea with a classic counter-attack.
Hincapie thwarted a potentially dangerous ball into the box, with an excellent defensive header. Trossard picked up the ball, and played it quickly to Rice on the left. Rice saw Kai Havertz making a gut-busting run through the middle… and played a wonderful pass with his weaker left foot… effortlessly.
Kai Havertz bearing down on goal, had Martinelli in close proximity… and Havertz used him as a decoy, faking like he was going to pass to him… and then skipped around the onrushing keeper, and slotted the ball into the empty net. It was 1-0 to The Arsenal!! It was an incredibly composed finish from Havertz, it was 4-2 on aggregate, and it was Arsenal into our first cup final, for 6 years!!
The Emirates erupted, and players ran off the bench to celebrate with Havertz. Arteta and the coaching staff roared joyfully, and embraced… enjoying the fruits of their labour. It was pandemonium, and beautiful to witness.
Kai Havertz delivering the fatal blow to his old club, rubbed salt into the Chelsea wounds, and him pointing at the Arsenal badge during his goal celebration… poured vinegar, into said wounds.
With The Blues well and truly back in their inferior box, thoughts turn back towards the Premier League. We face Sunderland at home, and we’ll need to ensure the Black Cats don’t land on their feet, after falling to our formidable football.
We’ll need to end all of their 9 lives, to obtain those precious 3 points.
Do you have anything to add to my match analysis?
Who would you prefer to play in the final, Mancheatster City, or Newcastle?
Will we win the cup regardless of the opposition, because we’re just THAT good?
Let me know in the comments, as usual. COYG!!
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