The precise moment in which Arsenal's defence broke down.
[Photo: Getty Images]
With another stunning performance by the Ivorian striker Didier Drogba and the complacency of Arsenal's defence, the Blues won today's contest in a fashion that was nearly a laugh. With eleven points behind the London rivals, the season seems (and only seems) over to Wenger's men as a precious opportunity to close the gap was wasted at the Grove.
The absence of Robin van Persie, Arsenal's best deliverer in the past three seasons, will be a haunting shadow as news from his recovery stressed the exorbitant amount of four to six months. The atmosphere and the build-up was as maniatic as the outrageous scoresheet; even the hideous Ashley Cole dared to put his name in the record. The problem should be passed on in order to regain the wretched confidence and utter disappointment.
If there is a thin ray of light in the Gunners' immediate future in the league, it is that of an absolute crash of the current rivals paired with another of United, and a flawless and magnificent display by the north Londoners. Where in many cases the beautiful game has its turnabouts, there is nothing sure in the nine-month unpredictable ride that is the Premier League.
One of the crosses that killed the Gunners' hopes.
[Photo: John Sibley/Action Images through Guardian]
Possibly between the first twenty five minutes of the first half, Ancelotti's men were slack and showed no real threat to the game the home team was trying to weave. Instead, they played the long dutiful, yet convincing game of growing in confidence and starting from zero. The Gunners' charge, led by Eduardo, did not jeopardise Terry's defence just as the clock reached the 29th minute.
The tense atmosphere between the two sides was escalating as the Gunners only took a weak effort from Nasri in the 24th. As the match wore, the confidence of the team led by Lampard increased to the extent of having the actual grip of the match. In one of those runs, Ashley Cole got himself into the left side and crossed to find a lonesome Drogba in the box. The Ivorian neatly finished as the ball bounced in the crossbar and entered.
As if this quick result was not crushing enough, another effort from the same full-back saw Vermaelen score an own-goal. The defence, in a hapless attempt to chase the ball, looked in line as if some magical intervention would keep the ball out of the way of Drogba; instead it went through the body of the Belgian and Chelsea, suddenly were two-goals up.
[Photo: Daily Mail]
The second half, instead of showing the Gooners the greatest of comebacks, was really a disappointing endeavour that highlighted the areas in which Wenger should invest in the following January. Particularly interesting resulted the fact that Samir Nasri provided the clearest opportunities, opposed to the hapless and off-paced Eduardo. Again the mental strength was a factor in favour of the Russians (I mean, the Blues).
As the match continued Wenger substituted the best man of the team, Nasri, to introduce the crafted player-type of player Rosicky. Whether this was a factor against the fresh inventiveness of the French against the passing of the Czech, it only helped to give certain advantage to Ancelotti's team. Despite some futile attempts of the north Londoners, the suffering did not diminish as Drogba stroke the last punch. A deadly freekick into Almunia's post and the match was virtually over.
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