Chelsea’s Late Improvement but Lack of Cutting Edge
It took Chelsea over 30 minutes to settle into the game. Once they did, both teams adopted their familiar structures from the 2024-25 season. Chelsea operated in their 3-2-5 setup, with Cucurella providing width on the left and Nkunku drifting into the half-space.
Arsenal, meanwhile, remained compact in their usual 4-4-2 shape. Since it was challenging for Chelsea to play through Arsenal regularly, they occasionally opted for long balls to stretch their defensive line.
Their best chance of the first half came from a long ball by James to Sancho, who ran in behind Arsenal’s backline. This led to Cucurella’s shot, which Raya failed to collect cleanly, and the ball narrowly crept beyond the far post.
It took Chelsea 30+ minutes to settle into the game. Once they did, we saw both teams adopt structures that they've utilized for most of the 2024-25 season.
— Fahd (@fahdahmed987) March 18, 2025
Chelsea were in their 3-2-5 with Cucurella providing the overlap option and Nkunku drifting in the half-space whilst… pic.twitter.com/0a0O7J7fQ4
In the second half, Chelsea showed glimpses of their old self, progressing through the thirds on certain occasions. At times, they successfully played through Arsenal’s high press, while in other instances, they found central penetrations. However, the overriding issue was their inability to convert these moments into meaningful box entries or valuable shots.