Chelsea: Arsenal reaction only matters if it continues in the league

Chelsea reacted well to Maurizio Sarri’s comments and the loss against Arsenal. But it only matters if it continues in the league.

Maurizio Sarri came out swinging after his side lost to Arsenal. He went after his players publicly and challenged them all to fight for their spot against Tottenham.

It worked as Chelsea was the better team than Tottenham over the two legs of the League Cup (though they did need penalties to make the final). The consensus appears to be that Sarri’s gamble worked and that this is a turning point for the Blues.

But that reaction only matters if it continues. Specifically, it only matters if it continues in the Premier League. The Blues have been in this position before where there is one team that turns up in cups and an entirely different one that turns up in the league. Sarri has to show that he can have his side fighting the same in both.

What has generally happened in Chelsea’s down seasons over recent years is the Blues stumble through the league while performing well in cups. Why is that? Well it is simply that there is something real to play for. Chelsea is not a team built to be also rans. They are a team built to win trophies. And if a trophy is not on the line, then that is when the motivation issues rise up.

It seems like such a simple thing to work around but cup matches and league matches really are quite different. One can be won on any given day. The other is marathon. And if all Chelsea has to play for is a Champions League spot, it appears they are less interested in the long haul of that marathon. But a cup game? Every game matters and they can turn up for that.

So while it is fantastic that Chelsea showed a strong reaction against Tottenham, it should not be read into too much as of yet. What will really matter is if this momentum carriers over to the league where the Blues have nothing to win.

The Tottenham match could very well have been a turning point for Sarri. But that will only become clear if this continues in the league and the competition for places remains.

Sarri has never really been a manager to rotate. So once a player knows they are in or out of his preferred XI, there is no incentive to fight for a place. Prior to the Tottenham match, there was a hint that Sarri was making the players fight for the start. Whether or not that is true remains to be seen as well.

If Sarri rotates minimally over the next few matches, then the players will return to their apathetic state of not fighting for a spot. The players need to know that they have to fight for minutes and that there is actually a fight to begin with. That competition among themselves will translate to the league and thus make Chelsea a better team.

The momentum is there, that is undeniable. But it has to be shown that it was not a flash in the pan. Chelsea needs to show that they can fight in the league with nothing real to play for. Sarri needs to show his side that they have to fight for their spots from now on. Tottenham can be looked back on as a turning point, but only if the turns that got Chelsea that win continue.