Player ratings v Arsenal: Petrovic concedes five and is still star man in dreadful defeat
A disappointing season sinks to a new low after Chelsea were thrashed by rivals Arsenal 5-0 at Emirates Stadium
By Jon Turner | April 24, 2024
It was the sort of result and performance that could have serious ramifications, both on the rest of Chelsea’s season and on the future of several of those involved.
Losing to direct rivals is tough to take at the best of times, but Tuesday night’s 5-0 capitulation at the Emirates Stadium reached a new level of embarrassment. There was no fight, no spirit, no plan, no direction, no clue.
It was evident with four minutes on the clock that Chelsea were in for a long night when Leandro Trossard opened the scoring as Arsenal tore through the exposed and feeble backline.
The hosts carved out a succession chances to put the game to bed before the break but a combination of fine saves from Djordje Petrovic, poor finishing, and last-ditch defending kept the Gunners at bay.
There was even a 15-minute spell towards the end of the first half where Chelsea started to play, and were they more clinical, might have even dragged themselves back into the game.
But that hope was short-lived, and once Ben White struck Arsenal’s second seven minutes after the restart, the Blues folded like a cheap deckchair.
Within 13 minutes, the Gunners were 5-0 up amid a shocking surrender from the Blues. Of course, it had to be Kai Havertz, sold last summer as part of Chelsea’s brainless overhaul, who was central to this rout, scoring Arsenal’s third and fourth, before White got his second on a historically bad night.
How Chelsea regroup from this is anyone’s guess. After steady progress in recent months that moved the team into contention for a European place, this was an almighty setback.
And it doesn’t get any easier: next up is a trip to fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Here are the player ratings.
Djordje Petrovic – 7/10
Petrovic was at fault for Trossard’s opener after failing to guard his near post, and conceding so early set off panic throughout the team. But were it not for the goalkeeper, Arsenal could have scored four or five more by the break.
Either side of the 13-minute four-goal rampage in the second half, Petrovic was called into action several times and made six key saves to avoid an even bigger demolition. Despite shipping five goals, one of the few players who left the pitch with any sort of pride.
Alfie Gilchrist – 4/10
On his first Premier League start, Gilchrist was given a baptism of fire. The Academy graduate had the tough task of marking the in-form Trossard, and he was really not helped by the lack of cover from his midfield, nor the wholesale changes made to Chelsea’s defence.
Constantly exposed as Arsenal poured forward, Gilchrist was powerless to resist the onslaught as the flimsy Blues backline was pulled out of shape all game. Not the full league debut he would’ve hoped but will ultimately learn from the experience. Commitment can’t be faulted.
Axel Disasi – 5/10
The Frenchman’s stats from the game are actually quite good. Disasi won all four of his individual duels (3/3 on the ground, 1/1 in the air), made five clearances and five recoveries, and had a pass completion of 99% (76/77). He might have done better at the other end when he missed the Arsenal goal from Badiashile’s flick-on.
But as the senior defender, Disasi lacked leadership and was as guilty as the rest for downing tools after Arsenal scored their second. Where has the fight gone from his man of the match display against Man City just a few weeks ago? His partnership with Badiashile seems to bring out the worst in him.
Benoit Badiashile – 2/10
No player has suffered a sharper decline than the French defender. Towards the end of last season, Badiashile displayed enough form to suggest he could have a big part to play this campaign. Instead, he’s become a liability.
Against Arsenal, he was the worst of a bad bunch, which shouldn’t have been all that surprising given his recent poor performances. He gave the ball away in dangerous areas, was sluggish in tracking opponents, and failed to impose any sort of personality on the game.
It’s painfully clear he can’t be deployed centrally in a back-four, his best displays last season coming on the left side of a back three. Confidence at an all-time low, it’ll be a surprise if Badiashile is still at the club next season.
Marc Cucurella – 7/10
Along with Petrovic, the only other player who could leave the pitch with his head held high. Cucurella had his hands full up against Bukayo Saka but he stuck to his task admirably. There were times when he was turned by the Arsenal winger, but he always showed fight to recover.
The Spaniard produced three blocks, three clearances, and five recoveries, and won six of 10 duels including all three in the air. Fought until the end but unfortunately there’s only so much a left-back can do when the rest of the team has collapsed.
Moises Caicedo – 4/10
After his sensational display against Everton and decent outing against Man City, this was a return to Caicedo’s early-season struggles. The Ecuadorian was simply outplayed and outclassed by opposite number Declan Rice in a midfield battle the Blues hopelessly lost.
Caicedo’s numbers from the game aren’t terrible: 88% pass completion, five passes into the final third, six defensive recoveries, 4/6 individual duels won, and five clearances. But the stats really don’t tell the full story. His positioning left the defence horribly exposed, allowing Arsenal to consistently outnumber the defenders when on the attack.
Of course, he’s a major talent and is still young but more is expected in massive games against rivals.
Enzo Fernandez – 3/10
Quite clearly unfit to play but was still left on the pitch for 67 minutes despite a wholly unimpressive display. The Argentine was devoid of any ideas or creativity, his ineffectiveness highlighted to an even greater degree by Martin Odegaard’s virtuoso performance for Arsenal.
The two players really can’t be compared. While Odegaard pulled the strings for the hosts and dominated the midfield alongside Rice, Fernandez was as meek as a field mouse. His partnership with Caicedo is just not working well enough, especially against the bigger teams.
There is no doubting Fernandez’s talent but his role within the team needs to change. He’s too soft defensively to play so deep; he lost 8/10 duels and 2/2 tackles.
Noni Madueke – 5/10
During Chelsea’s brief bright spell at the end of the first half, it was Madueke who caused the most amount of damage. The right winger looked to have the beating of Takehiro Tomiyasu, using his pace and skill to create a couple of good chances. It beggars belief that Chelsea didn’t identify this and channel their attacking play down Madueke’s flank.
However, like most of his teammates, the England Under-21 star faded badly and showed little fight or pride once Arsenal had taken a commanding lead.
His attitude has been called into question the past week after the penalty debacle against Everton and when he was spotted joking with Jack Grealish after the FA Cup semi-final defeat. This would not have helped change that image.
Conor Gallagher – 5/10
Gallagher’s effort can never be faulted but this was a not a good day for the captain. Created one chance, got himself in the Arsenal area a few times, and tried to get stuck in, yet he was simply outplayed against Arsenal’s superior midfield.
Forced into plenty of defensive positions, either deep or when trying to high press, Gallagher lost 8/12 duels. He attempted two unsuccessful dribbles and was dispossessed three times.
He’s largely done well in the more advanced attacking midfield position this season, but his deeper partnership with Caicedo against Everton was magnificent. It needs to become a regular thing.
Mykhailo Mudryk – 3/10
Chosen ahead of Raheem Sterling, despite reports pre-match that Pochettino was not convinced by his tactical or positional abilities, Mudryk did little to justify his selection.
His passing was awful, completing just 64% (14/22), he had two unsuccessful dribble attempts, and 1/4 accurate crosses.
Of course his pace can be terrifying but when it’s not channelled or utilised in the right way, it becomes redundant. Still a young and inexperienced player, the raw talent is there but there is such a long way to go until he becomes a consistent threat.
Nicolas Jackson – 4/10
More of the same from Chelsea’s under-pressure centre-forward. Plenty of encouraging forward runs, looked to put the Arsenal defenders under pressure with his pace, dropped well to collect the ball and link play – but can’t take any chances.
After the three sitters missed against City, Jackson saw two more squandered at Arsenal, including one where he inexplicably tried to squeeze the ball inside the near post despite having the entire goal to aim at.
The sooner Jackson can be moved to left wing and Chelsea sign a proper striker, the better.
SUBS: Raheem Sterling (Mudryk 66’) – 5/10
The game was already over when Sterling was introduced, but like many of his teammates there was a lack of fight from the winger. Never even looked like trying to get into the match, his contribution limited to a fanciful long-range free-kick.
Trevoh Chalobah (Fernandez 67’) – 6/10
Made a more positive influence in 25 minutes than Disasi or Badiashile combined for 180 minutes. Got his foot on the ball and passed out well from the back and brought calm to a chaotic defence.
Thiago Silva (Gilchrist 78’) – 6/10
It’s almost insulting that Thiago Silva was thrown on for the final 12 minutes when the game was already done. The Brazilian great, who is expected to leave at the end of the season (who would blame him?), ensured Chelsea didn’t concede any more goals.
Cesare Casadei (Madueke 79’) – 6/10
Brought a bit of energy to the team and gave a good account of himself despite the wider malaise. Completed 100% of his passes (14/14), had 2/2 successful dribbles, won 4/5 duels, and contributed defensively with one clearance and one recovery. If the starters showed similar determination, the result might have been different.
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino – 2/10
This was a disaster waiting to happen as soon as the teamsheet was revealed. Yes, he’s been hamstrung by injuries to key players, but changing three of your four defenders for a game away to the Premier League’s top scorers made no sense.
Fine, the FA Cup semi-final was only three days before, but City, Liverpool, and Arsenal have all been able to play every three days for large parts of the season without the need for wholesale changes to the starting XI. Are the players not resting and recovering well enough?
From the team selection, the tactics were sub-par as massive gaps were left between each phase of the pitch, leaving the defence exposed, the midfield outnumbered, and the attack isolated. And clearly the team talks and attempts at motivation are not working as his players crumbled once again at the first signs of pressure.
Support was already wearing thin for Pochettino, but such was the calamity of this performance, it could spell the beginning of the end.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks