Arsenal: Theo Walcott And Hector Bellerin Highlight Pacey Philosophy
Arsenal thumped Chelsea 3-0 on Saturday evening and I couldn’t help but notice the sheer speed of the team, highlighted by Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott.
Arsenal were utterly sensational in a blistering first half against Chelsea. Playing with a ruthless precision in attacking areas without squandering chances and maintaining their discipline and shape without the ball, Arsene Wenger’s men quite simply played Chelsea off the park.
While watching the game, though, what was particularly noticeable was the speed with which Arsenal played. The pace of the players on the park, both going forward and defensively combined with the intensity of the high press and the speed of the tight, intricate passing was simply far too much for Chelsea to handle.
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Clearly a tactic derived from Liverpool’s success last weekend in another scintillating first half performance versus Antonio Conte’s apparently stout defence, Wenger employed the same team as last weekend intent on dominating the game through sheer speed. Nowhere was this more evident than down the Gunners’ right flank.
Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott are renowned burners. Both are electrically quick but have been for many years. After the dominant performance, Bellerin was asked about the performances of his teammate this season and the partnership that they are developing on the pitch, stating:
“Sometimes when you’re getting games regularly that helps a player’s confidence as well. We’ve been playing together in the right side for the last few weeks and it’s a partnership that we both enjoy. We understand each other a lot and I think that shows on the pitch. It’s great fun to play with him.I think you can see that he’s been doing it for the past month and I’m glad to see him back to his best.”
Arsenal enjoyed great joy down the right flank. The second goal came from an overlapping Bellerin who slid a low cross for Walcott to simply tap home, but defensively the two were excellent. Eden Hazard, Chelsea’s best attacking player was very quiet throughout and this was not just down to Bellerin defending well. Walcott, who has been highly criticised for his defensive work rate, tracked back admirable on Saturday, limiting the dangers of the overlapping Azpilicueta and highlighting Hazard’s laziness for his own goal.
Walcott, who has been highly criticised for his defensive work rate, tracked back admirable on Saturday, limiting the dangers of the overlapping Azpilicueta and highlighting Hazard’s laziness for his own goal.
It was an excellent performance from Arsenal on the whole, but the right-hand side was particularly pleasing. Wenger seems intent on playing with pace and the combination of Bellerin and Walcott could well be a key component of the coming season.