We’re not just a few days away from Chelsea’s return to action, with the Blues playing Leicester on Saturday. Until then, all we have to think about is our last game, a 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
Post game, there was some really interesting coverage of the game from Mario Melchiot and Mina Rzouki on PLP’s Kelly and Wrighty show.
Melchiot made an interesting point about Chelsea, who will feel they could have won this game. He claimed that Enzo Maresca had let Arsenal off the hook by switching Pedro Neto to the right of the formation just as he was having joy against Ben White down Chelsea’s left.
“Even Chelsea, I felt like they should have taken more advantage of the situation with Neto and White. Because Neto tested White, White didn’t like that. We’re not talking about the way [Neto] crossed the ball onto Gusto’s head, but also before that he was talking him on and he was unstable,” the former Chelsea defender explained.
“I think Chelsea should have really jumped on that situation and said ‘leave him there.'”
Chelsea could regret letting Arsenal off the hook
There are arguments both ways – as Melchiot himself points out, Chelsea did actually score directly due to Neto’s change in sides as the winger was able to cut onto his left and shoot beyond David Raya’s reach. But the situation does slightly sum up the whole feeling of the game in that the Blues let their opposition off the hook when they had them potentially banged to rights and in a vulnerable position.
It’s only 2 points dropped, but those points will really add up come the end of the season, especially against those teams likely to finish near us in the table.