Old Boy Cesc Fabregas Helps Chelsea Gun Down Arsenal!
Many observers might have thought either Arsenal’s or Chelsea’s number seventeens would have been the match winners today. But former Barcelona men Alexis Sanchez and Pedro had quiet games going forward as every time they had the ball, they had a few of the opposition in toe to steal back possession.
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott started with intent but that soon fizzled out.
Diego Costa had one of those Diego Costa type games. He worked hard at times and then resulted to some dirty tactics that wind-up opponents and opposition fans. He was lucky to stay on the park after slapping about Laurent Koscielny in the penalty area. That incident saw Arsenal defender Gabriel lose his head and get sent off for reacting to Costa’s calculated antics. But in the forward area’s Costa wasn’t as effective as he failed to trouble returnee Petr Cech’s goal.
So it was left to former Gunner star-man and captainĀ Cesc Fabregas to step forward for Chelsea and produce a match winning display as the ‘Blues’ ran out 2-0 winners.
Like many others in Jose Mourinho’s squad this season, Fabregas has toiled so far this term.
But that changed as he was deployed slightly further forward in the Champions League win against Maccabi Tel Aviv. In that clash we saw Fabregas once again pulling the strings for Chelsea. He won the man of the match award after scoring one and setting up another.
Cesc continued in that vain at Stamford Bridge today.
Why Arsene Wenger, who knows more than anyone about Cesc;s qualities, let the Spaniard have so much time and space throughout the match is a bit bizarre. Now obviously the injury to Francis Coquelin and the Gabriel red card didn’t help but even before those incidents Fabregas was dictating play for the Premier League champions.
Once again he added yet another assist to his name after his perfectly flighted free-kick found it’s target in Kurt Zouma who put his header beyond Cech at his near post. The pinpoint accuracy of the cross undone the Gunners defence and it’s nearly impossible to defend such a great ball.
Fabregas once again looked like a midfield maestro and controlled much of the game with his passing ability and level headed performance. In the end before he was subbed, Cesc completed 86% of his intended passes. He also found time to get back and winning the ball back inside his own half.
Even towards the end of the game, Fabregas was still hungry for the ball and always looking for it. His desire to reach the ball before Santi Cazorla, ended up seeing his fellow Spaniard see his second yellow as he caught Fabregas’ ankle instead of the ball!
Eden Hazard looks to be hitting top form again (especially in the second half) and the Chelsea defence looked pretty solid, although they were helped by Mike Dean missing Diego Costa’s slap fest on Koscielny.
But throughout Cesc Fabregas looked like a pristine Rolls-Royce who strolled through a game that he seemed to own from the get-go!
I don’t think it has much to do with coincidence that Chelsea’s form has picked up as soon as Fabregas rediscovered his this season.
Posted on September 19th, 2015 by scott
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