Arsenal produced a strong performance to beat a listless Chelsea 1-0 on Sunday, moving back to the top of the Premier League in the process.
The Gunners dominated the early exchanges without really testing Edouard Mendy - Gabriel Jesus missing a good chance from close range in the biggest opportunity of the half.
It was fairly dismal throughout from the hosts, who lacked any conviction in build-up play or threat on goal all game, and Graham Potter will know he faces a big task to find the right formula after the World Cup if the Blues’ season isn’t to fizzle out quickly.
The winning goal came from Gabriel Magalhaes just past the hour mark, prodding in from close range after a corner was missed by everybody - and there was simply no response from Chelsea in search of an equalier.
Here are the player ratings from Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Chelsea
Edouard Mendy, 6. Had very little to do in the first hour, then made a good punch clear under pressure and blocked a Jesus shot - before being beaten by a corner.
Cesar Azpilicueta, 4. Booked for winning the ball - Martinelli was late to a challenge and got hurt. Rubbish rule. The rest of his game was pretty poor as Martinelli gave him the run-around and then he totally lost Gabriel for the opening goal.
Trevoh Chalobah, 7. Bit of a boost to be picked for this game and certainly didn’t put in a performance to suggest he shouldn’t have played. Solid and reliable throughout without ever really being directly involved in thwarting Arsenal’s biggest chances.
Thiago Silva, 6. Great block on Jesus early on. Had to play a lot of long passes due to Chelsea’s lack of midfield build-up. Almost cost a goal when caught in possession on the hour and then failed to cut out the corner which led to the goal.
Marc Cucurella, 7. His battle with Saka was one of the notable factors of the first half and the Spaniard ended up edging it after a tough start. Played well from a defensive standpoint but totally failed to get forward as an outlet.
Jorginho, 5. Offered nowhere near enough through the middle considering his usual range of passing and ability to pick out runners - not that Chelsea had many of those, to be fair. Defensively bypassed at times and simply didn’t get people around him playing quickly or with any forward momentum.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 6. Hard-working but didn’t really offer much in the way of second-line support, which made it tough for Chelsea to have any build-up play at all. Did a lot of tracking down Arsenal’s left, Chelsea’s right channel defensively.
Raheem Sterling, 7. The one decent outlet for the home side in the first 45’. Some nice passes in behind the defence from the right flank and a few dangerous dribbles. No real chances fell his way.
Mason Mount, 5. Played left side in the first half and struggled to get into the match too much. Hard-working and dropped deep to help Cucurella but made no real impact in possession. Not the role for him at all.
Kai Havertz, 5. Roamed from the centre and sometimes looked dangerous, but not consistent enough with his final pass or decision. Subbed with Aubameyang.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 4. Played centrally but very little service was forthcoming. Booked against his former club for a late slide tackle. Hooked after an hour to jeers.
Subs: Conor Gallagher 6, Armando Broja 5, Mateo Kovacic n/a, Christian Pulisic n/a
Arsenal
Aaron Ramsdale, 6. Had himself a nice quiet day out down the park. A bit wet and cold from standing around not having to do anything, perhaps.
Ben White, 8. A couple of shooting chances fell his way early on and showed why he’s yet to net for the club. Defensively though he was right on it: tackling high upfield when he could, clearing from inside his six-yard box when he needed to.
William Saliba, 8. Defended well in one-on-one situations and a few good moments of covering behind his partner too. Recovered to block after his own mistake following the restart. Very solid again, even if the attacking threat was few and far between most of the game.
Gabriel Magalhaes, 7. Almost as good defensively as his partner, outside of a couple of wild swings and mistimed headers. He did, however, score the all-important goal after more attack-minded players kept spurning their own chances. Lethal from one yard out.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, 7. Steady first game back. His usual central positions started Arsenal’s build-up play with frequency, but he also surged down the left as a surprise option at times.
Thomas Partey, 8. Some good protective work in the first half against sporadic counters. Took a good chance off Martinelli’s head after the break but mostly he just shut down Chelsea’s very weak central pressure.
Granit Xhaka, 7. Not his most adventurous or aggressive game but id simple work well, tracked his man when he needed to and linked well in the channels.
Bukayo Saka, 7. Started off in lively fashion and was a good outlet but Cucurella eventually got the measure of him. Booked for a frustrated late tackle. Took the corner which set up the goal.
Martin Odegaard, 7. At times looked a cut above with his ability to find space in crowded defensive areas and take the ball on the turn - but for once his final pass was lacking all game long. Also missed a great one-on-one chance as he cut back on his left instead of lobbing with the right.
Gabriel Martinelli, 8. Some really good runs into space early on and delivered a fantastic cross which should have led to a goal. Great footwork, selfless running and always willing to look for a teammate in the final third.
Gabriel Jesus, 7. Good movement as ever but should have a buried a diving header from close range. One tricky run saw a solo effort blocked beforehand. Off the ball, very important; on the ball, not in his best form.
Subs: Kieran Tierney 6, Mohamed Elneny n/a, Rob Holding n/a
