Morgan Rogers’ early goal was not enough to prevent Chelsea suffering their first defeat under Xabi Alonso, as Arsenal responded with two goals to win the London derby. The result came in the third round of the Premier League, despite some already considering Alonso’s side potential title contenders.
Chelsea found the net first, but Rogers’ strike appeared to provoke Arsenal rather than unsettle them. The visitors, or “the Pensioners”, could not add to their advantage and were eventually beaten after conceding twice.
An assessment by online publication Euro-Football.ru identified three Chelsea players whose performances contributed to the loss. The ratings were subjective, with every player beginning the match with a mark of 6.0 and a maximum possible score of 10.
Josh Acheampong – 3.0
Josh Acheampong endured a particularly difficult afternoon and offered little support to Chelsea’s defence.
As Kai Havertz threaded the ball between Maxence Lacroix and Wesley Fofana, Acheampong appeared to be out of position and unable to help his team-mates. He did not win a single duel, make an interception or complete a tackle.
The defender also made only 12 accurate passes during the entire match, a modest figure for a player operating more or less in the centre of defence. His influence faded almost completely as the game progressed, leaving little impression beyond his inclusion in the starting line-up.
The assessment concluded that Chelsea effectively played with 10 men because of Acheampong’s contribution.
Joao Pedro – 3.0
Joao Pedro was also criticised for failing to take responsibility in the final third. Rather than trying to shoot in the opposition penalty area, he too often looked to get rid of the ball.
The forward did win fouls and was capable of turning an attack, but he did not display the qualities expected from a centre-forward. His only real attempt to score came from almost the halfway line and, unsurprisingly, it was unsuccessful.
Joao Pedro also created danger for his own side early in the match. In front of Chelsea’s goal, he swung at the ball and missed, allowing a potentially threatening situation to develop.
Cole Palmer – 3.0
Cole Palmer was unable to produce the decisive performance expected from a player of his stature.
He did not play a single pass into Arsenal’s penalty area. Palmer managed to test David Raya twice, but neither effort caused the goalkeeper serious problems and Raya dealt with both attempts.
The Chelsea midfielder lost four of his five duels and failed to complete a successful dribble. He also committed two fouls, while opponents were penalised for fouling him only once.
Palmer is capable of deciding matches of this importance, but on this occasion he could not impose himself on the derby. Combined with the underwhelming displays from Acheampong and Joao Pedro, his performance helped explain why Chelsea were unable to protect Rogers’ early breakthrough.
The defeat was Alonso’s first since taking charge of Chelsea and left the side unable to offer a response after Arsenal turned the match around.