Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Chelsea: 5 things we learned – What. A. Game.

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 03: Hector Bellerin of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on January 3, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 03: Hector Bellerin of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on January 3, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 03: Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on January 3, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 03: Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on January 3, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

4. Front three can beat anyone

After the match, Jamie Carragher said that Arsenal’s front three is better than Manchester City’s front three. That is a bold statement to make, one that many may disagree with. But there is an underlying truth to his assertion: The Gunners’ strikeforce is the aspect of this team that can singlehandedly win games.

Against Chelsea, they proved that to be true. Some of the combination play between Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette was sublime. The synchronisation of subtle touches, precise passes, and fluid, elegant movement off the ball made them extremely difficult to keep tabs on.

Sanchez and Ozil flourished in free-roaming positions behind Lacazette, with Ozil actually dropping a little deeper than usual, almost mirroring Chelsea with a third central-midfielder. That allowed Sanchez to play on the shoulder of the defence, pressed high up alongside Lacazette. The result was space between the Chelsea defence and midfield, which Ozil exploited to great effect. As long as all three are still at Arsenal and playing well, this team can win any match at any time.