With several key players missing the clash between two Premier League heavyweights, Arsenal and Chelsea was never going to be classic.
In the red corner, Mikel Arteta was missing the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. In the blue corner, Enzo Maresca was missing Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer. The game and result said as much.
We won’t lie; this encounter didn’t generate much excitement. There were nearly moments for David Raya and Robert Sanchez with the two Spanish goalkeepers almost costing their team goals but it was Mikel Merino, an unlikely source of joy for Arsenal of late who scored the game’s only goal in a 1-0 win for the Gunners.
The treatment of Merino has perhaps been unfair in recent weeks. He’s scored four goals in seven games since being turned into a makeshift striker and his goal against the Blues was brilliantly taken.
Martin Odegaard swung the ball in and there Merino was, leaping high at the front post to glance a header past Sanchez.
So, what were the talking points?
The biggest positives from Arsenal’s win over Chelsea
The aforementioned Merino is certainly having a good time of it in attack and although he won’t be a long-term solution to their offensive woes, he is doing his best.
Clearly not as athletic as some who ply their trade as the centre-forward, the Spain international has worked hard and certainly off the ball, this was perhaps his finest performance as an Arsenal striker.
He led the press well and forced the Chelsea defenders and goalkeeper into a few worrying moments defensively.
Two of Arsenal’s biggest moments came through him too, firstly the goal and then he was unfortunate not to make it 2-0 with a rasping volley from close range which was kept out by Sanchez.
While the Gunners struggled to create much again, they were pretty perfect defensively, with Jurrien Timber proving that Ben White is going to have to work incredibly hard to win his place back.
It was White who started in midweek against PSV but Timber was back in the starting lineup on this occasion and did brilliantly, notably winning nine duels and completing 88% of his passes. In the words of Arsenal podcaster Adam Keys, the Dutchman was “immense” on Sunday and “made a couple of big transition-stopping tackles to keep Arsenal in control.”
The man on the opposite side of the defence wasn’t bad either.
Arsenal have found their new Jack Wilshere
“The future of English football”. That was the billing a certain teenaged Jack Wilshere was handed by legendary midfielder Xavi after dominating Barcelona’s midfield in the Champions League.
As we all know, however, Wilshere’s career was ruined by injuries. He’s now a coach at Norwich City in the Championship.
Since then, Arsenal have been looking for someone equally as good. Saka has certainly proven he’s the best Hale End talent since Wilshere’s emergence but they’re incredibly different players.
Well, they may have finally found their new version of the Englishman in Myles Lewis-Skelly.
It’s safe to say that this has been a pretty special week for the 18-year-old. Like Wilshere before him, he has been named in an England squad as a teenager.
It’s an incredible accomplishment, it really is. This is a boy, a man, who before September hadn’t made a single start in the Premier League. He’s been fast-tracked but he really does deserve to be standing among the country’s elite players.
Why? Well, there aren’t many footballers in England who can do what he does.
A midfielder by trade, it’s at left-back where Lewis-Skelly has shone brightly. Forget the red cards for a moment, his technical ability, his mentality and physicality are all far beyond what’s expected for a player of his age.
So, why is a left-back to Wilshere, we hear you ask? Well, it would not be a great surprise if, in time, the teenager is playing in his rightful midfield spot.
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Lewis-Skelly vs Chelsea |
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|---|---|
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Minutes played |
90 |
|
Touches |
39 |
|
Accurate passes |
18/21 (86%) |
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Clearances |
1 |
|
Tackles |
1 |
|
Ground duels won |
3/3 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1/1 |
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Key passes |
1 |
|
Fouled |
2x |
|
Stats via Sofascore. |
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Like Arsenal’s great Hale End hope of yesteryear, Lewis-Skelly is left-footed, he’s ridiculously press resistant, he drives forward with purpose and he rides tackles in a remarkably similar way.
He showed all of those qualities against Chelsea, starring in his usual inverted role.
Lewis-Skelly regularly stepped into midfield and appeared in areas right on the edge of the box, driving forward and evading challenges with his close control.
This was a near impeccable display, earning an 8/10 match rating courtesy of Football.London having won all four of his duels and completed 86% of his passes.
Arsenal and England will be spoiled by such an exciting talent.