Arsenal: 3 standout players from Chelsea win

2. Mohamed Elneny

Mohammed Elneny was one the players who came into the squad extremely short on minutes. Credit is due, however, because fans would not have been able to tell that Elneny has been a fringe player for multiple seasons now.

He offered energy and a liveliness in the middle of the park that has been missed since Partey’s injury. While he doesn’t offer the incision and passing ability of the Ghanaian, he does possess one crucial improvement on Lokonga: speed. This does not refer to how fast either play can sprint; it represents speed of thought and passing.

Lokonga, for all his strengths, takes too long on the ball, even when circulating in around the back. Elneny would receive the ball under pressure before moving it on with one or, at most, two touches. Additionally, the Egyptian’s defensive commitment must be applauded.

Elneny snapped into every challenge, harassing opposition midfielders and leaving them with no time on the ball. Penetration through the middle was quite difficult to come by for Chelsea and that is down to Elneny’s persistence and resilience.

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