We have been ready to see whether or not Anthony Taylor was being despatched to his pitchside monitor to try Moises Caicedo’s problem on Mikel Merino when an almighty yell emerged from the Arsenal bench. That they had already watched it again on their very own iPads and, nicely, weren’t pleased.
Mikel Arteta’s assistants Albert Stuivenberg and Gabriel Heinze led the complaints committee with fourth official Sam Barrott. Set-piece specialist Nicolas Jover carried out VAR hand indicators in direction of Taylor. Even Kepa Arrizabalaga, Arsenal’s back-up goalkeeper previously of Chelsea, went over for a phrase with Barrott whereas a number of different analysts additionally voiced their anger.
They have been in a tizzy. However Chelsea? They have been calm by comparability. Enzo Maresca regarded in direction of his personal set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva, who sits behind their bench along with his personal iPad. Cueva flashed again a face that instructed, sure, a purple card might be coming.
Maresca consulted his assistants, together with Willy Caballero and Danny Walker, to debate who to deliver on and who to sacrifice in gentle of dropping a midfield basic in Caicedo. The consensus? Don’t change the aspect. Hold it as is. Get to half-time then tweak.
This was Chelsea’s sixth dismissal of the season in all competitions – seventh if we throw in Maresca’s for celebrating their late win over Liverpool in October – and so, granted, they’ve had loads of observe in taking part in video games with 10 males. However the response to Caicedo’s purple in opposition to Arsenal was courageous from Maresca, optimistic, and completely completely different from what we anticipated after earlier experiences.
Manchester United away – Robert Sanchez purple card after 5 minutes. They needed to make at the least one change to deliver on second-choice goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen. However Maresca declined to cease there. He made not one however two rapid substitutions, sacrificing each of his wingers to deliver on Jorgensen and a defender in Tosin Adarabioyo. It reeked of negativity, left Chelsea with none attacking impetus, and United received 2-1.
Moises Caicedo vegetation his studs into Mikel Merino’s ankle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday
The Chelsea midfielder is distributed off – changing into the Blues’ sixth participant to be dismissed in all competitions this season
At half-time Enzo Maresca informed Estevao Willian he was being changed by Alejandro Garnacho (above) after which defined why to your complete group
Brighton at dwelling – Trevoh Chalobah purple card after 53 minutes. Maresca instantly introduced on a defender in Josh Acheampong for a midfielder in Andrey Santos, after which, lower than 10 minutes later, one other defender in Malo Gusto for a winger in Estevao Willian. Damaging once more, Chelsea have been main 1-0, however Brighton went on to win 3-1.
The reds they acquired in fixtures thereafter got here too late to make substantial modifications. Joao Pedro in opposition to Benfica – ninetieth minute. Gusto at Nottingham Forest – 87th minute. Liam Delap at Wolves – 86th minute. They have been already successful in these and held on.
However this time, Caicedo’s badly-timed problem left Chelsea a person shy after 38 minutes. Fact be informed, these of us within the press field anticipated the identical outdated story would possibly unfold – a knee-jerk substitution, a want to go on the defensive and a defeat, this time to the league leaders.
As an alternative, Chelsea stood nonetheless till the interval. When the half-time whistle was blown, Maresca bolted down the tunnel along with his fellow coaches in tow.
Like many managers, Maresca has a whiteboard with magnets within the altering room – 11 in purple and 11 in blue. Effectively, 10 in blue this time. Whereas ready for the gamers led by Reece James to trickle in, Maresca was rearranging these figures in dialog with Caballero, Walker et al.
Within the first half, Chelsea’s gamers push up the pitch to pin Arsenal again, together with full again Malo Gusto (No27), Enzo Fernandez (No8) and Pedro Neto (No7)
Within the second half, Gusto, Fernandez and Neto, who has swapped wings, all drop a lot deeper to compensate for having 10 males. However Alejandro Garnacho (No49) pushes excessive up the pitch to threaten the Gunners on the break
Maresca informed Estevao he was being changed by Alejandro Garnacho, after which defined why to your complete group.
The straightforward transfer would have been to sacrifice an attacker for a midfielder to fill that Caicedo-shaped gap, however no, they’d the initiative and needed to carry on to it.
It was a like-for-like alternative – a winger for a winger – however it was wanted for a way they have been going to method the rest of this recreation.
It was not a slight on Estevao that he was the one hooked. Till Caicedo’s purple, Gusto had been galloping down the right-hand aspect to overlap the 18-year-old Brazilian to permit him to maneuver inside into central positions and nearer to Joao Pedro.
Now, that will now not be occurring, actually not as commonly because it was when it was 11 v 11.
Maresca needed Gusto to minimize his flying ahead as a result of they may now not afford to have their again 4 turning right into a again three, and he swapped Pedro Neto from the left wing to the appropriate as a result of the 25-year-old Portuguese is his most relentless runner.
A starter in each single Premier League recreation this season and their quickest participant, he can be prepared to fulfil his defensive duties whereas nonetheless providing a menace on the counter-attack.
Maresca didn’t go on the defensive when his workforce have been right down to 10 males, one thing he tried unsuccessfully in opposition to Manchester United
Malo Gusto (left) retains a watch on Eberechi Eze. The complete again was given strict directions to not push on as a lot when Chelsea have been right down to 10 males
Garnacho was introduced on to present them that width over on the left as an alternative as he tried to remain excessive and huge when not wanted to assist Marc Cucurella. Garnacho was additionally informed to remain excessive and anticipate these fantastically pinged diagonal balls from James to come back his manner.
Maresca informed Enzo Fernandez to drop deeper into the midfield reasonably than performing as their No 10. He informed Joao Pedro, later changed by Delap, to attempt to stay in direction of the highest of the pitch to keep away from this recreation turning into assault versus defence.
He informed the workforce to push up once they might – certainly, Chelsea’s common positions present their backline performed deeper within the first half than the second – and in a remaining few phrases of encouragement, he requested them to ‘double the hassle’.
Chelsea have been meaner than Arsenal, extra composed, and, by way of Maresca’s ways, braver. They took the lead via Chalobah and solely conceded the equaliser as soon as Bukayo Saka lastly escaped the clutches of Cucurella to cross for Merino to move dwelling.
Maresca will hope his aspect will not be compelled to compete with 10 males once more any time quickly, but when nothing else, Chelsea have at the least proven they now know methods to deal with it.
