Bola.net - Chelsea berhasil mengalahkan Arsenal di pekan kedua Premier League 2018/19. Bertanding di Stamford Bridge, Sabtu (18/8) malam WIB, Chelsea sukses menaklukkan Arsenal dengan skor meyakinkan 3-2. Tiga gol kemenangan Chelsea disumbang oleh Pedro, Alvaro Morata dan Marcos Alonso. Arsenal hanya mampu membalas dua gol melalui Henrikh Mkhitaryan dan Alex Iwobi. Chelsea langsung tancap gas begitu laga dimulai. Skuat asuhan Maurizio Sarri itu menyuguhkan permainan cepat sejak menit awal dan memainkan bola-bola cepat yang menerobos barisan pertahanan Arsenal. The Blues tampak lebih percaya diri dan berani mendominasi penguasaan bola. Pemain anyar Chelsea, Jorginho tampil percaya diri dan menjadi pusat permainan Chelsea. Serangan Chelsea banyak dimulai mulai kaki Jorginho. Lini tengah Arsenal tampak kesulitan mengimbangi permainan Chelsea sejak menit awal. Serangan Chelsea akhirnya berbuah gol di menit ke-9. Jorginho mengirimkan umpan lambung ke ruang kosong di sisi kanan pertahanan Arsenal, Marcos Alonso berhasil mendapatkan bola dan mengirimkan umpan rendah ke kotak penalti. Pedro yang berdiri bebas sukses menyempurnakan umpan memanjakan tersebut ke sisi kiri gawang Petr Cech. Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal di menit ke-9. Gol Chelsea tersebut memperlihatkan pertahanan Arsenal yang kocar-kacir. Sokratis dan Mustafi sering miskoordinasi, dampak dari pemain anyar yang belum sepenuhnya beradaptasi. Arsenal terus berusaha membongkar permainan rapi Chelsea. Tim asuhan Unai Emery ini lebih sering memainkan umpan-umpan pendek dari kaki ke kaki. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang bahkan mendapat peluang emas di menit ke-20. Bellerin sukses berakselerasi menembus sisi kiri kotak penalti Chelsea, sayang umpannya gagal disempurnakan Aubameyang yang berdiri bebas. Tendangan Aubameyang melambung di atas mistar. Masih di menit yang sama, Chelsea langsung menerapkan serangan balik. Cesar Azpilicueta yang menguasai bola melihat pergerakan Alvaro Morata di tengah lapangan. Azpi kemudian mengirimkan umpan daerah yang sukses dikejar Morata. Lagi-lagi Sokratis yang gagal merebut bola, Morata melewatinya dan melepaskan tendangan yang mengecoh Cech. Menit ke-20, Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal. Chelsea terus menguasai pertandingan, namun serangan Arsenal terbukti efektif membahayakan pertahanan The Blues. Mkhitaryan sempat mendapat peluang emas di menit ke-32 dengan skema yang sama dengan peluang Aubameyang. Skor seharusnya sudah seimbang. Asyik menyerang, Chelsea justru kebobolan. Bermula dari serangan balik, bola diterima Mkhitaryan di luar kotak penalti Chelsea. Kali ini mantan pemain MU itu tak menyia-nyiakan peluang dan mencetak gol dengan tendangan keras mendatar ke sisi kanan Kepa di menit ke-37. Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal. Mendapat momentum, Arsenal mulai berani menguasai bola dan mengungguli Chelsea. Arsenal berhasil mengeksploitasi kelemahan Chelsea di kedua sisi sayapnya. Skema serangan Arsenal tak jauh berbeda, yakni membombardir kedua sisi bek sayap Cheslea. Arsenal akhirnya berhasil menyeimbangkan kedudukan di menit ke-41. Lagi-lagi memanfaatkan kelemahan di sisi kiri pertahanan Chelsea, Mkhitaryan berhasil merangsek ke kotak penalti dan melepas umpan silang mendatar ke dalam kotak penalti. Alex Iwobi yang menerobos dari belakang langsung menyambut umpan matang tersebut dengan tendangan keras ke gawang Kepa tanpa terbendung. Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal. Kedua tim terus bergantian menyerang di sisa waktu babak pertama. Kelemahan Arsenal tampak digaris pertahanan yang terlalu tinggi, sedangkan kelemahan Chelsea terlihat di kedua sisi bek sayap. Meski demikian, skor 2-2 tak berubah hingga turun minum.
KOMPAS.com — Gelaran Liga Inggris sudah memasuki pekan kedua yang akan dimulai pada Sabtu, 18 Agustus 2018.
Laga antara Chelsea melawan Arsenal akan menjadi sorotan pada pekan kedua ini.
Pasalnya, selain karena duel sesama klub asal London, Arsenal harus menjalani laga yang cukup berat pada dua laga pertamanya.
Baca Juga: Kiper Terbuang Liverpool Mulai Tentukan Destinasi Baru
Sebelumnya, Arsenal kalah dari Manchester City dengan skor 0-2 pada pekan pertama.
Lalu pada pekan kedua, Arsenal harus menghadapi Chelsea yang pada laga perdananya berhasil menang meyakinkan atas Huddersfield Town dengan skor 3-0.
Saat ini, Chelsea berada pada peringkat kedua pada klasemen sementara Liga Inggris di bawah Liverpool . Sementara Arsenal saat berada pada posisi ke-15.
Baca Juga: Anak Tiri Manchester United Masih Jadi Rebutan Klub-klub Eropa
Berikut jadwal siaran langsung Liga Inggris pekan kedua:
Cardiff City vs Newcastle United, 18:30 WIB (beIN Sports 1)
Leicester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 21:00 WIB (tidak tayang di TV lokal)
Tottenham Hotspur vs Fullham, 21:00 WIB (beIN Sports 1)
West Ham United vs Bournemouth, 21:00 WIB (beIN Sports 3)
Chelsea vs Arsenal, 23:30 WIB (beIN Sports 1 & RCTI)
Manchester City vs Huddersfield Town, 19:30 WIB (beIN Sports 1)
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United, 22:00 WIB (MNC TV & beIN Sports 1)
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool, 02:00 WIB (beIN Sports 1)
Chelsea is 2-0 on the Premier League season and Arsenal is 0-2 as the Blues scored a late winner to take down the Gunners at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 3-2.
Here's everything you need to know about this match:
Fast start
Chelsea looked like the better team from the opening whistle and threatened right away. Creativity and speed gave this team chances going forward, and after just nine minutes, it was 1-0. Pedro finished with class with this effort:
Double trouble
Right after Arsenal wasted a golden chance to make it 1-1, Chelsea scored against through Alvaro Morata with this beautiful bit of skill and shot 20 minutes in:
What a finish from Alvaro Morata 🔵 pic.twitter.com/KhhPhrNSmJ — NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) August 18, 2018
The comeback
Then Arsenal finally was able to put the ball away. Despite missing what felt like 10 golden chances to score, including two wide-open ones from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Gunners came to life with Henrik Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi scoring four minutes apart to make it 2-2 before the break.
The late winner
Eighty-one minutes in, the winner came. Marcos Alonso ran front post and put home a delicious pass from Eden Hazard to bury their city rivals, with the Spanish defender once again showing what he can do in attack.
Marcos Alonso scores what could be the winner for @ChelseaFC!
Watch the last 10 minutes on NBC now or stream: https://t.co/mz79ag6ZfQ pic.twitter.com/og8gWorCDB — NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) August 18, 2018
What the result means for Chelsea
For the Blues, it's a perfect start to the season. Six points from six and that comes after showing some weak spots in preseason. They got a goal from a forward in Morata, which is a position of concern, and it was another pretty solid performance.
Defensively the team had trouble with Arsenal's ability to get deep and play diagonal balls into the box, so there's no doubt that will be a focal point in this week's training. But if you are a player or a fan, you have to be happy with the results so far.
What the result means for Arsenal
Do you smell that? Smells like a little bit of smoke. That seat of Unai Emery isn't hot yet, as it has only been two games, but the match has been lit. With zero points in two games, though both were against tough competition, Arsenal has to take advantage of the weaker teams it faces or we could see a coaching change before long.
Sure, if Arsenal goes their first 5-6 games without a win, don't be surprised to see the plug pulled (I hear Thierry Henry is available). Chances are Arsenal get this thing back on track next week against West Ham in a battle of London-based teams that currently stink, but a couple slip-ups, starting with next week against the Hammers, and it will go from bad to worse for Arsenal.
Before long, we could have Arsenal fans wishing Arsene Wenger was still in charge.
Relive the match with our live blog below.
Live updates
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3:00 Watch highlights of Chelsea 3-2 Arsenal Watch highlights of Chelsea 3-2 Arsenal
Marcos Alonso's late goal gave Chelsea a 3-2 win over Arsenal in a frantic encounter in Maurizio Sarri's first competitive game at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso swept home from close range after being found by sub Eden Hazard, meaning Unai Emery's Arsenal have lost two from two this season.
Newcastle vs Chelsea Live on
There were four goals in a dramatic first half. Pedro (9) and Alvaro Morata (20) capitalised on woeful Arsenal defending to put Chelsea 2-0 up, as both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan missed sitters for the visitors after each goal.
Player ratings Chelsea: Kepa (5), Azpilicueta (5), Rudiger (4), Luiz (4), Alonso (7), Kante (6), Jorginho (8), Willian (6), Barkley (7), Pedro (6), Morata (7)
Subs: Kovacic (6), Hazard (7), Giroud (6)
Arsenal: Cech (7), Bellerin (3), Sokratis (4), Mustafi (4), Monreal (5), Xhaka (3), Guendouzi (5), Mkhitaryan (6), Ozil (4), Iwobi (6), Aubameyang (6)
Subs: Torreira (6), Ramsey (6), Lacazette (5)
Man of the match: Jorginho
But Arsenal found themselves level at the break through Mkhitaryan's 20-yard effort (37) and Iwobi's close-range finish (41), with both sides visibly neglecting their defensive duties.
Arsenal crumbled again late on to allow Chelsea the winner, continuing the Blues' 100 per cent start in the Premier League under Sarri.
Chelsea initially had the run of Arsenal and were ahead through Pedro as Hector Bellerin was caught high up the pitch, allowing Alonso acres to square for his Spanish compatriot in even more space. He duly swept past former Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech.
Team news Eden Hazard started on the bench with Chelsea unchanged following the win over Huddersfield.
Arsenal made two changes; Nacho Monreal replaced the injured Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Alex Iwobi was in for Aaron Ramsey.
Alex Iwobi battles with Morata at Stamford Bridge
Aubameyang was head-in-hands just after, blazing over from eight yards from Bellerin's centre, and it was 2-0 just 55 seconds later after Morata was left one-on-one with Shkodran Mustafi from Cesar Azpilicueta's simple ball from deep.
Morata wrestled Mustafi away, before sliding past Cech as Arsenal fans got a case of déjà vu at Stamford Bridge, where they now haven't won in eight.
Mkhitaryan blazed over at the other end in a similar position to Aubameyang, but the Armenian made up for it with a fierce drive from the edge of the box, despite Kepa Arrizabalaga getting a touch.
Arsenal levelled through Iwobi's slammed finish from 10 yards, picked out by Mkhitaryan after Chelsea gave him the freedom of west London, and Emery's side would have gone into half-time ahead if the Nigerian hadn't blazed over from near the penalty spot in space again.
Alvaro Morata celebrates Chelsea's second goal in the first half
Space was handed out in abundance again after the break; Kepa was down low to save from Aaron Ramsey's effort, while N'Golo Kante headed just over at the other end, but Chelsea got their winner with nine minutes remaining.
Sub Hazard danced past Alexandre Lacazette with ease on the left, before finding Alonso eight yards out to sweep through Cech's legs.
It would have been worse for Arsenal had Cech not kept out Hazard and former Gunners striker Olivier Giroud twice late on, but it ended 3-2 on an evening which showed neither defence in good light.
41 - Only Frank Lampard (90), Didier Drogba (55) and Gianfranco Zola (42) have more Premier League assists for Chelsea than Eden Hazard (41). Magician. pic.twitter.com/FvgPVmJoqb — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 18, 2018
Man of the match - Jorginho
In a game lacking in defensive discipline of any kind, this was a difficult award. But Jorginho's showing, alongside a clearly energised Ross Barkley, was superb.
He won the ball a team-high nine times, touched the ball a match-high 105 times, and made 99 passes at 91.6 per cent completion, with 56 in the opposition half.
Chelsea fans like what they've seen so far, and they can expect more of the same to come.
Notes for Southgate Barkley's clear rise in confidence can only be a good thing for England and Gareth Southgate. In his 60 minutes, Barkley was happy to drive at a struggling Arsenal defence, and came close to scoring when his angled shot was tipped wide by Cech. This was more like the Barkley of old.
Opta stats
Chelsea have won six of their last seven home league games against Arsenal, the exception being a 0-0 draw last season.
Arsenal scored two goals against Chelsea, as many as on their previous six Premier League visits to Stamford Bridge.
Unai Emery is the first Arsenal manager to lose his first two games in charge since Steve Burtenshaw, who lost his first three in charge as caretaker in March/April 1986.
Chelsea winger Pedro has scored in consecutive Premier League games for the first time since February 2017.
What's next
Arsenal now face West Ham at the Emirates on Saturday, while Chelsea go to Newcastle on Super Sunday at 4pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
