Need to learn to defend 6-3-1 or 5-4-1 without the ball, Pedro and Willian just standing around doing f**k all.

Luiz off now..hes marking thin air at every attack of theirs

Just now, evissy said:

2 months lads. 2 months. 

That’s all well and good but surely our players should still have the basic concept of how to defend a cut back? 

Alonso & Luiz look found out shame cus they were adding value to the attack 

Silly mistakes let them back in Sarri ball just switched off ? Hope he can team talk it back on. Bring on Hazard & Emerson. 

And everyone was saying why we need a defender ..well look at luiz...put Dave at the left and Moses at the right

A brilliant half ruined in the last 10 minutes. This is going to be the worry under Sarri, we can't afford to sacrifice defending for good football. 

Keep calm everyone. Hazard will tear them apart in 2nd half ... But Defense is atrocious ! Also I'd rather see Kanté as number 6 than his current position: he seems too high on the pitch and that clearly impacts how we defend !

This is the problem the left side is too slow Alonso is getting exposed

Alonso and Luiz on the left hand side of defence is a nightmare. We are horrendously defensively

First 20 minutes we were just amazing! 

Arsenal had 2 great chances to score and they felt they can continue in that way, so they did and got their 2 goals. We forget to save players during through balls from the wings.

I think Sarri has to step down Kante and put him more defensively because he is a bit late when he goes down. Barkley after 20 minutes lost himself, Willian, as well. 

We can't lose this game, we must push forward and keep our defence focused! COME ON CHELS!!!

Worried that we will go on to lose this now 

Their wingers are causing us damage. We need to cut off the supply from the wings and Bring on Hazard and Kovacs. Kante needs to be more disciplined and break this play up with that midfield. We look frail at the back. Back four need to work harder or we will lose this match.

Started so well I can’t believe we’ve ended up level at half time.

We have fullbacks not playing as fullbacks. Arsenal should be winning.

I think the commentary was on the money. Both our fullbacks are used to having a third centreback to cover for them and now that they aren't there anything down the wings is ripping us apart. The first 25 minutes was glorious the last 20 was painful.

Thank f**k Arsenal can't finish better. Though of we keep giving them chances like that they'll get another just by the law of averages. [emoji35]

Not surprised by that half..we have to get used to this in early days of Sarri and 4-3-3...we are far more entertaining to watch going forward but far too easy to create chances against...back four not getting any protection from widemen and luis and Rudiger are nit abgreat defensive partnership yet.

think we will be involved in a lot of high scoring games this season

Hazard has to come on at half time.

Our attacking players aren't the problem. The issue is the defence just isn't used to playing as a back 4.

PEOPLE STILL COME ON AFTER THE MATCH 'HOW CAN U CRITICISE ALONSO HE IS SO GOOD' 

 

he is terrible at defending always was. horror of a 10 minutes 

Changes needed at half timem it could have been 6-2 arsenal

Best and worst of Sarri's football in one half. You can't help but recall the AVB 3-5 match.

We've been exposed nearly everytime they've gotten the ball. The runs under the fullback when the ball goes wide are particularly damaging us.

Got to sort it out or we will be losing this. Hazard needs to be on for Willian very soon because it might take another two goals to win this.

Just now, Ahmed_bluehearted said:

And everyone was saying why we need a defender ..well look at luiz...put Dave at the left and Moses at the right

I don't think the players are the problem, it's the tactics. The fullbacks are being instructed to play the way they are playing by Sarri. If the fullbacks are going to play this way all season, then we will concede a lot of goals, no matter who we play in those positions.

We all knew it, Luiz - Alonso on left side defence together is football suicide. Not sure i have seen a defensive performance as bad as Alonsos first 45.

Emerson and Hazard on at the break.

I am gonna take a different view on David Luiz's defending this season. Instead of moaning and wailing and grinding my teeth I am just gonna have a laugh at it like all our rival fans do. The fact the Sarri has him as a starting centre-half tells me he probably doesn't know what he is doing.

2 minutes ago, EdinburghBlue said:

That’s all well and good but surely our players should still have the basic concept of how to defend a cut back? 

Exactly.

Are we to say oh well it's just 2 months when it's basic football taught at junior level? 

That's a complete cop out and a foolish thing to say when we are continually being ripped apart by the same continuous move over and over again.

At 2-0, Sarri should have closed the game down. 

We’ve looked good going forward down the left hand side but it seems to be a massive weak point defensively.

I’m really enjoying the game though. Our best player is still on the bench so I fancy us in the second half.

Paradoxically, I don't feel that nervous at all. I know once we put Hazard and Kovacic, and step down Kanté in midfield, arsesh*t won't have a chance ! UTC