Chelsea FC 0-1 Arsenal: FA Community Shield Reflections
‘Park-The-Bus’ Gunners
It was with a sense of worry and dismay that I watched Arsenal’s defensive performance on Sunday. Mourinho talked about how Wenger and his players left their “philosophy” in the dressing room, in reference to Wenger’s constant criticism of Chelsea’s supposedly boring defensive style.
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But on Sunday, the bus was parked right in front of Arsenal’s goal, especially after they had taken the lead. Every Arsenal player was camped inside their half of the pitch, with as many as eight outfield players in the defensive third for most of the game. It was a defensive performance straight out of Mourinho’s copy-book, and should be a source of concern for Arsenal’s title rivals once the real football starts next weekend.
If Arsenal are able to solve their striking problems by getting the world-class front man that the fans crave, it may spell doom for Chelsea’s chances of winning the EPL next season. The Gunners would be able to match attacking input with a willingness to utilize the supposed dark arts of parking-the-bus against the big sides in a bid to effectively compete for the title. The “specialist in failure” barb by Mourinho last season may be finally coming to haunt him!
Next: Final Thoughts