In some ways it was a case of same old story for Arsenal. Another loss to Chelsea and, even in a season in which on the whole they have been terrible, we still can't beat them.
There was also yet another red card against the Blues. Minimal contact as Per Mertesacker brought down Diego Costa but still the correct decision as he was the last man. Costa made a huge meal of it rolling around like he'd been shot. It was annoying to see but it wouldn't have changed the result.
One of the most frustrating things about the red card is Costa didn't take the best of first touches before going to ground so, had Per not fouled him, Petr Cech may still have been able to deny the striker.
At least we didn't roll over and capitulate with 10 men. Chelsea didn't blow us away like a Chelsea team of old, with an extra man, might have done but we didn't test them enough in attack. It was annoying to see us create some very good positions going forward but we failed to make the most of any of them and only mustered one shot on target during the entire game.
Alexis Sanchez looked lively when he came off the bench for his first appearance since November following his recovery from injury, while Hector Bellerin worked tirelessly throughout, but it wasn't enough to get anything from the game.
It was always going to be a tough game, regardless of Chelsea's woeful league position, but it was an uphill struggle following the red card and we never really recovered. It really felt like a wasted opportunity for us, especially with title rivals Manchester City dropping points earlier in the weekend and knowing a win would have taken us back to the top.
Whether or not it will stop us winning the title remains to be seen. It was a poor result and incredibly frustrating but, when all is said and done, we are third and only behind Manchester City on goal difference. Only three points separates us from leaders Leicester, so all is not lost. But we need to use this as a wake up call and take better advantage when the likes of Man City drop points, as we don't know how often it will happen.
The score could've been worse had Cesc Fabregas been awarded a penalty following a push from Laurent Koscielny but it didn't stop Chelsea from taking all three points away from the Emirates.
But as with the game at Stamford Bridge, which Chelsea won 2-0, a red card provided the key talking point. Arsenal saw Gabriel and Santi Cazorla dismissed in the away clash and this time around Mertesacker was given his marching orders.
The game was only 17 minutes old when the German defender was shown a red card for sliding in and bringing down Costa. There wasn't too much contact but, as he was the last man, it was hard to argue with the red card. Costa made a meal of it but it really was a silly mistake from Mertesacker. We had to play the remaining 73 minutes with 10 men and it also meant that Olivier Giroud was substituted in order for Gabriel to come on at centre-back. This meant we lost a big aerial presence in attack and totally changed how the rest of the game would pan out and stopped it from being a potential classic.
To their credit Chelsea took advantage of the extra man and scored the decisive goal through Costa just six minutes later. The Spanish striker converted Branislav Ivanovic's cross from close range and in the end that one goal proved enough to win the game.
Arsenal tried to respond and Mathieu Flamini shot over from Aaron Ramsey's cross. Fortunately for the French midfielder the linesman's flag spared his blushes from what was a poor miss. At the other end, only a goal-line clearance from Nacho Monreal stopped Ivanovic's header from doubling Chelsea's advantage. Chelsea then saw their appeals for a penalty waved away after Koscielny appeared to foul Fabregas in the box, which thankfully kept us in the game.
The Gunners were showing plenty of spirit in the second half, despite being a man down, but they also failed to really test Thibaut Courtois in the Chelsea goal.
Sanchez entered the action off the bench after 57 minutes and his arrival was met by a huge roar from the home crowd. His work-rate and energy alone showed what Arsenal have been missing during his absence but, at times, it was as if he was having to try do things on his own and not getting enough support. It was definitely good to see him back and one of the only positives we can take from the game.
Arsenal came close to levelling the scores when, following a scramble in the box, Gabriel's shot was blocked as the hosts failed to make the most of the few chances that came their way. Another half chance fell to Arsenal when Courtois failed to hold onto a ball but the Gunners were unable to make the most of the situation. Flamini also wasted a chance when he failed to get a decent connection on the ball and his tame effort was comfortably saved by Courtois.
That was about as good as it got for Arsenal and, in truth, Chelsea were more than deserving of their 1-0 win and Willian particularly impressed for the visitors.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Chelsea fan Paul Boulter was delighted to see his side get one over on their rivals, but still believes Arsenal can pose a threat in the title race.
"It was a much needed win for Chelsea over a bitter rival, one of the highlights in a really poor season," said Boulter. "When I first saw the tackle from Mertesacker, I thought “that’s a red!!”, but it looks like Costa did well to put the ref in a position of no doubt.
"We capitalized through the villain of the piece Costa with an actually really well worked goal. Arsenal pulled their socks up in the second half, but I felt Chelsea could have added, especially on the break.
"Cesc Fabregas got the man of the match, but Arsenal’s midfield were tested far more by Willian, who is our best player.
"All in all a bad day at the office for Arsenal with Chelsea fast becoming a bit of a bogey side. I do still expect Arsenal to challenge for the title, but they have some tough fixtures on the horizon."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We need to get back to winning ways as soon as possible if we are to reignite our push for the title. With Southampton next up in the league, we will need to produce a much better performance and we definitely owe the Saints one after our Boxing Day horror show. We need to make sure we right the wrongs quickly or we risk another league campaign fading away from us. There is still plenty games to turn things back around so it is up to the players to prove whether or not they are up to the task.
Before that we turn our attention to the FA Cup and a home tie against Burnley. It has the potential to be a tough game but the players need to go out there and prove why we are the holders and give the fans a performance to be proud of.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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