I’m afraid the whole ‘it’s only a pre-season friendly’ argument goes out the window when you are playing your local rivals.
No game is a friendly when Chelsea play Arsenal, but unfortunately for Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea last night, there was only one team treating it like that, and it wasn’t the German Coach’s team.
They were thrashed 4-0 by London rivals Arsenal in their third pre-season match of the campaign, meaning that they have now lost two on the bounce in pre-season.
It’s far from ideal preperation for the new season, that is now just 13 days away from starting. It’s very worrying signs indeed for Blues fans, who are also growing frustrated with seemingly being about to sign Jules Kounde, with then Barcelona coming in to potentially beat them to that as well.
Tuchel’s words after the game, as delivered by Football London, were just as worrying.
“Far from relaxed,” Tuchel said. “I think we deserved to lose – which is fair enough – because we were simply not good enough. We were absolutely not competitive. The worrying part is the level of commitment, physically and mentally, for this match was not the same, it was far higher for Arsenal than us.
“We can argue they played with I think their strongest line-up; they’ve had now together several weeks and for more than one year. They’ve strengthened their line-up, played the same structure, and this is the line-up they’ll try to start Premier League games.
“It was not our strongest lineup and this is part of an explanation but only a little part. The other part is worrying.
“I can not guarantee [that Chelsea will be ready for the new season]. I saw today a team in Arsenal who are mentally committed to an idea of playing, a level of exhaustion, a level of physical commitment that we could not match.
“Also, a level of mental commitment that we lacked because we have a lot of players who are thinking about leaving and looking at their options. We have players that have left and I think at the moment that’s obvious.”
If you have players who don’t want to be here, SELL THEM!
Arsenal fan here, Chelsea will bounce back after all its only a friendly. Chelsea still havnt sorted their defence out when they have had all summer, which must be worrying for you guys atm. Additionally the lack of a striker is hurting you massively. From outside looking in you need to cut your losses on Werner and get shot. The worrying thing a striker which would have done well for you in Scamacca looks to have signed for the hammers. Also in terms of prep Arsenal are 2 weeks further down the line.
Arsenal have been there we had a dressing room of very toxic expensive flops who were on holiday and loved living in London. They weren’t there to win things they were there for an experience whilst playing for a big club. We needed to tell them all to doo one and got rid no matter the financial loss. Is it bad business??? or using common sense for the good of the club
I think it’s the cost of the buy big method that Roman brought in, dont get me wrong it wins things on occasion when things align. But look at where Chelsea are at the moment, No defence lossing you 2 bedt CB for nothing, relying on Reece James far too much, push on Azpilicueta and Alonso still at their age. Mount can do it all himself, then all the others don’t seem interested then the less you talk about your attack the better. There are too many players out there who are greedy mercenaries using clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal to get to Barca or Real plus their greedy agents .
As we found out, not buying players who want to be at Chelsea and are not invested in your club was always going to cost you. It happened to us, in the end as we found out too late (15 years too late) and Man Utd have now too thier in a bigger mess than anyone.
Yes guy we need a good strike for Chelsea not all this one and we her not ready for the primershipe League