"And for large portions of Arsenal's 3-2 win at Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg on Wednesday, it certainly was not. But for Mikel Arteta and his players, there was a beauty in the physicality, the remorseless levels of aggression. Arsenal won because of what they did without the ball. Yes, there were nice moments from them in possession, most obviously Martin Zubimendi's goal for 3-1."
"When Chelsea, bravely, tried to play out from the back, each pass felt fraught in the face of the pressure; they had to be perfect to avoid dangerous turnovers. In fairness, they showed plenty of skill and personality in this regard. But still, getting out was precarious, draining. It was also easy to fixate on the moment when Estevao Willian blasted clear of a posse of red shirts in central midfield on 37 minutes."
Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-2 in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg by imposing intense physicality and relentless aggression. The team excelled in pressing and winning duels, closing spaces and swarming players on the ball to force risky turnovers. Martin Zubimendi scored the third with a composed, gliding run and a fake-to-shoot move that wrong-footed Wesley Fofana. Set pieces, especially inswinging corners, created chaotic scoring opportunities with Ben White's header among them. Chelsea showed skill in trying to play out from the back but found passing perilous and draining. Estevao Willian briefly escaped pressure before losing possession amid a swarm of Arsenal players.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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