Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea - Chelsea "B" a class apart

Let me put this performance into perspective. TEN of those players sat on the bench or in the stands last Sunday! That’s how good we were!

Whenever a manager makes as many changes as Jose was forced to do last night, you always have a concern whether those players will perform based on the fact they have all had a lack of regular games and starts this season. You wonder if they will be able to step up, play at the required level and most of all, gel as a team to give us the performance we would need to beat Arsenal in their own backyard!

We shouldn’t have worried because in a word the whole team were outstanding and put in the level of performance that we knew we were capable of.

Now I have seen the comments Arsene Wenger made after the game and I disagree totally not because I am a Chelsea fan, it’s because I am a football fan and analyse the game based on what I was watching in front of me.

Yes Arsenal had plenty of possession but what did they do with it? Giroud turn and shot late on was the only real save I believe Mark Schwarzer had to make!

Chelsea’s defensive shape that has become apparent over the past two seasons that has played a HUGE part in our back-to-back European Titles was there for all to see again from our second string. As we allowed Arsenal to have plenty of possession in front of us, we sat back into our positions and made life difficult for them to try and carve out an opening. As a result you will find Gooner sites talking of shots that fizzed passed the post on more than one occasion, but again not testing Schwarzer!

If anything, Chelsea looked to play well within themselves and eased their way to victory after another defensive error was capitalised by us!

After Fernando Torres was rewarded at the weekend against City for chasing down a lost cause, Cesar ‘Dave’ Azpilicueta did the same and let’s give him some credit here, took his goal fantastically well!

If you look at him he never takes his eyes off the ball! Even with the Goalkeeper coming out, he doesn’t flinch, takes it on the volley and places it into the far corner to make it 1-0.

As for our second goal what more can you say about Juan Mata!?

An unused substitute against Man City, Mata had a point to prove (as with the rest of the players) last night and responded with a fantastic performance. Working hard without the ball to close people down, with the ball he was majestic. His flicks and tricks continue to baffle his opponents and his use of the ball is different class.

With Arsenal the talk is all about Ozil. As the game moved on, Arsene Wenger gave in and brought him on to try and get back in the game but, just three minutes later, Juan Mata responded with a stunning goal.

Chelsea possession down our left hand side brought us a throw in deep into the Arsenal half. Eto’o makes a run towards the byline, receives the ball and flicks it over his head. Willian then flicks the ball into the path of Mata and with instant control with his left foot, Mata strikes the ball first time with his right from outside the box and the ball curls it’s way away from Fabianski and into the far corner to make it 2-0!

The game was over despite Giroud coming on for the “impressive” Bendtner! In saying that, it was Giroud who forced the only save Schwarzer had to make in the game late on.

I cannot emphasise enough just how good we were last night. This was a total performance from Chelsea. Not one player had a bad game and delivered a performance to be proud of.

A special mention to the 9,000 Chelsea fans that took the Emirates by storm and sang their hearts out for 90 minutes. It’s nights such as those that live long in the memory.

There’s something special about being two nil up and comfortable at the Emirates listening to the Chelsea support singing “Ash-ley Cole’s won the European Cup!”

Without question, Chelsea has sent a message to every other club in the Premier League last night. We have real strength in depth and have the players to compete in every single competition this season.

Chelsea were quite simply a class apart!

Carefree & KTBFFH!