Stalemate at White Hart Lane
Going into their London Derby with Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, Chelsea would have been hoping to avenge their 5-3 loss which they suffered on New Year’s Day and the result which sent the team into pragmatism. However the onus, given the circumstances, was on Jose Mourinho and his men not to lose and they managed not to. The game, although entertaining, hardly threatened to provide goals and the clear-cut opportunities throughout the game could be counted on one hand. For Chelsea, it was a sturdy if unspectacular performance with Diego Costa dropped and Eden Hazard producing a pretty impressive imitation of a forward in the ‘false nine’ role. The Blues defence was impregnable just like it used to be and therefore stifled the creative talents of Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane. Kane in particular was marshaled expertly by Kurt Zouma and could not continue his scoring run. A good point for each with both Hugo Lloris and Asmir Begovic being called on occasionally to make a crucial save.
Arsenal drop points again
After their shock 2-1 loss to West Brom last weekend, Gunners fans were hoping for a response similar to the performance they gave in the Champions League in midweek. Early on, Arsene Wenger’s men seemed to be fulfilling that expectation through their early dominance and they were rewarded with an excellent opener created by Alexis Sanchez and finished astutely by Meuset Ozil. But despite creating more chances, the Gunners failed to double their lead and paid the price as Lewis Grabban equalised right before half time. After the break, Arsenal were lethargic and the fatigue was visible as they game went on. Sanchez pulled his hamstring, but it was hardly surprising given Wenger’s refusal to rest him. Even more worrying is that Norwich provided by far the more compelling case as to who deserved the three points as the away team failed to create many chances of substance. With their star player out as well as Laurent Koscielny who hurt his back early on, among others in the treatment room, this is a difficult time for a club with title aspirations.
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