After coming close to the feat in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid and qualifying with mastery for the final of the FA Cup on Sunday against Crystal Palace (2-0) , Chelsea once again put on a worrying face against neighbors Arsenal.
If the defeat has few immediate consequences in the standings, the men of Thomas Tuchel, 3rd, having 5 points ahead of Tottenham and Arsenal who have one more game, the way worries.
Returning to the score twice, Chelsea again paid cash for its lack of defensive efficiency.
Between a goal offered by Andreas Christensen with a back pass that was too short (0-1, 13th) and a lost ball in their camp, followed by several favorable counterattacks and a victorious point a few meters from goal (2-3, 57th) Eddy Nketiah was the big beneficiary of this unexpected feverishness.
At the very end of the match, Cesar Azpilicueta was nicely trapped by Bukayo Saka who cunningly obtained a penalty before converting it (2-4, 90+1)
Emile Smith-Rowe’s goal, with a fine perfectly placed low shot, at the entrance to the area (1-2, 27th) owed nothing to anyone except the fine assist by Martin Odegaard.
With 11 goals conceded in the last 3 home matches, Tuchel has his work cut out with his rearguard.
That said, the Blues’ attack did not shine either, like a tenured Romelu Lukaku, but left after an hour of play under the whistles of subscribers, Chelsea not having been authorized to sell additional tickets for this late game.
Timo Werner had equalized on a shot from 18 meters deflected by an opponent and on which Aaron Ramsdale was not a model of reactivity (1-1, 17th) and if the 2-2 goal by Cesar Azpilicueta (32nd) was quite nice in its design, it was still necessary that the right piston is found at the reception of a center of Mason Mount in the defense, where we would have expected an attacker.
Mikel Arteta’s men, after three defeats in a row, are in any case reviving in the race for the C1 and the final sprint with the Spurs, who have the same number of points (57) but a better goal difference, exciting announcement.
The two teams will meet again on May 12 for a late match which will undoubtedly be very expensive.
