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[Ratings] Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea: Ozil stars but Leno & the referee cost Arsenal vital win

By on December 29, 2019

Bernd-Leno-arsenal

A combination of poor goalkeeping and shocking officiating cost Arsenal as we slumped to a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Arsenal started brightly and took the lead in the 13th minute when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed home from a Calum Chambers flick following a Mesut Ozil corner.

We continued to look organised but the big turning point of the game went against Arsenal. Midway through the second half, the referee refused to give Jorginho a second booking for pulling back Matteo Guendouzi. He had booked Lucas Torreira and Ainsley Maitland-Niles for exactly the same foul but bottled it with Jorginho. A horrendous piece of officiating that predictably cost us big-time.

Just minutes after he should have been sent off, Jorginho won a foul on the touchline. The Chelsea midfielder then ghosted in at the back post to tap home the equaliser in the 83rd minute after Bernd Leno had failed to deal with the free-kick. Replays showed Jorginho had tugged back Torreira before scoring but VAR allowed the goal. Obviously it was a huge error from Leno but this goal should never have happened as Jorginho shouldn’t have been on the pitch to win the free-kick or score the goal, plus he fouled Torreira.

Arsenal then got caught too high up the pitch for the first time in the game and Tammy Abraham took full advantage to make it 2-1 to Chelsea in the 87th minute. It was poor defending by Arsenal and we failed to find a way back into the match so slumped to a harsh 2-1 defeat.

Here are my ratings:

Leno  5/10 | He’s been Arsenal’s saviour many times this season but today he was badly at fault for the Chelsea equaliser. Abraham’s winner also went straight through his legs. Not a good day but he’ll be back.

Maitland-Niles  7/10 | Solid at the back and wasn’t really troubled by Mount at all. Didn’t get forward too much but good overall performance.

Chambers  7/10 | Assisted the opening goal before limping off with a knee injury.

Luiz  7/10 | Was certainly up for this game against his former club. Superb block to deny Abraham in the second half capped a decent outing.

Saka  7/10 | Another impressive run-out in the unfamiliar left-back spot. Dealt with Willian well but got caught too high up the pitch for their winner.

Torreira  7.5/10 | Superb in the first half when he won everything in front of the back four. Not as effective once Chelsea switched formation but positionally excellent throughout the match. Great to see him hitting some form in his proper position.

Guendouzi  6/10 | Mixed game. Was clearly keen to impress and worked hard but gave away some silly fouls. Early booking meant he was on a tightrope which he just about managed to navigate.

Nelson  7/10 | Showed great energy and always looked to make things happen. His dribbling caused Chelsea problems but his final ball and delivery into the box still needs work.

Ozil  8/10 | Involved in everything, particularly in the first half when he ran the show. Worked hard, found space, linked midfield to attack and got stuck in when needed. A terrific performance that got a deserved standing ovation when he was subbed.

Aubameyang  7.5/10 | Lovely header to open the scoring but his team work was just as impressive today. Worked his socks off getting back to defend and help out Saka.

Lacazette  6/10 | Had a decent first half when his movement caused Chelsea problems but tired badly in the second half and it cost us. His poor hold-up play resulted in the free-kick that led to the equaliser.

Subs:

Mustafi   5/10 | Was having a solid game until he gave Abraham way too much space to turn and score the winner.

Willock   5/10 | Almost made it 2-0 after flashing a shot wide. Was a huge miss.

Pepe   N/A | On too late.

The first half was excellent from Arsenal as we were far more organised and solid defensively. We got ourselves ahead and would have seen out the game had Jorginho been rightly sent off. The gift from the referee turned the game in Chelsea’s favour and the mistake from Leno compounded what turned out to be a hugely frustrating afternoon at the Emirates. It’s vital Arsenal get back to winning ways when we take on Manchester United on New Year’s day.

Watch highlights from the game here: