Three things we learned from Chelsea loss as familiar problem resurfaces on derby day | OneFootball

Blues’ set-piece jinx shows no sign of fading despite Liam Rosenior’s best efforts

Chelsea’s chances of clawing back a draw when 2-1 down faced a self-inflicted and ultimately terminal obstacle when Pedro Neto was shown a second yellow card and sent off on 70 minutes.

Miserable record extended

Chelsea headed into the game winless against Arsenal in all of their last ten meetings. Make that 11.

Not since August 2021 have the Blues tasted victory over their north London rivals, and that 11-game run includes no fewer than eight defeats, including this latest loss.

Chelsea are now winless in their last 11 matches against arch-rivals Arsenal

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Chelsea may have been 2-1 down but were well in the game with 20 minutes to go, but it was at this point that Neto made the mindless decision to slide in on Gabriel Martinelli, who was counter-attacking down the left channel for the Gunners.

Martinelli had baited Neto out, was too quick for the Portuguese, and referee Darren England had his easiest decision of the evening in front of him.

Neto was shown a yellow card, becoming the ninth man to be sent off in a season of Chelsea discipline of truly epic proportions. It is an issue still in dire need of addressing in-house.

Mamadou Sarr’s big outing

Liam Rosenior gave Mamadou Sarr a huge vote of confidence as the Senegal international got the nod to replace the suspended Wesley Fofana at the Emirates, while Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile and Josh Acheampong all sat on the bench.

Rosenior trusted Sarr immensely while at Strasbourg, but to hand him a first Premier League start and only second-ever Chelsea start against Arsenal at the Emirates was a brave call and a real compliment to the young defender’s ability and potential.

Mamadou Sarr made a composed Premier League debut

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After fluffing his lines when a chance fell his way to score from an early Neto free-kick, Sarr grew into the game, playing deeper than his centre-back partner Trevoh Chalobah.

Could he have done a little more to prevent Arsenal’s opener going in off his arm? Perhaps. But he blocked a Declan Rice cross, worked the ball out of intense pressure from Bukayo Saka, and produced one of the individual performances Rosenior will have been more heartened by.

Set pieces Chelsea’s undoing again

Opposition set pieces have provided cruel and unusual punishments for Chelsea in recent weeks, but following two free midweeks in which they did work on them on the training pitches at Cobham, it will have been maddening for Rosenior to watch his side lose to rivals Arsenal courtesy of goals from two corners.

Robert Sanchez’s unconvincing performance “should prompt an inquest at Chelsea”

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The first corner, assisted with a header back across goal by Gabriel and scored by his centre-back partner Saliba was straight from the Arsenal playbook. Teams know Arsenal are going to do it, they still can’t prevent it — Chelsea particularly.

The winning strike from Timber felt a rather softer goal to ship, though. How he was afforded the space and time to win the first header and angle it past Robert Sanchez should prompt an inquest at Chelsea.

Sanchez was in no-man’s-land and came racing out to the referee to complain about being pushed. Nothing of the sort. It was another desperately poor set-play goal Chelsea have shipped against Arsenal this season and prompted cheers of “Set piece again ole ole” from the delirious home end.