THE CHELSEA BLUE BOX: Chelsea vs Arsenal (Premier League)

Chelsea FC vs. Arsenal FC (Premier League)

(GK) Robert Sanchez - Overall he had a good performance. Commanded his box exceptionally well. However, it was clear trouble was cooking as he was coming into this fixture with a history of 1 or 2 serious passing errors every match. The warning signs have been there. His luck simply ran out. Rating 2.5/5


(LB) Marc Cucurella - Marc played in his natural LB role for the 1st time this season after playing some impressive games of late at right back. He now has played multiple games where he's been at a very high level. He did an excellent job of keeping one of the best players in the league, Bukayo Saka, in check most of the game and was excellent against him in 1vs1 duals. His dramatic improvement this season continues. Rating:4/5

(CB) Thiago Silva - Our maestro in defense enjoyed another excellent day at the office only undone by a moment of disastrously goofy play by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Throw in some blocks and headed clearances and Silva continues to defy the odds still playing like a youngster. His impact on the development of Disasi, Colwill, and other center-backs is evident. He should sign for another year already. What a phenomenal player.Rating:4/5

(CB) Levi Colwill - This is where we want to see Levi playing and now we can see why. It was incredibly bold of Pochettino to go with 2 CBs against Arsenal of all teams. Levi stepped up and showed us why he's so highly rated. Gabriel Jesus was kept marginally quiet all game long and barely had a sniff at goal. He also played some great passes from deep. Excellent performance. Rating: 4/5

(RB) Malo Ghusto - The young 19-year-old is set to give Reece James a run for his money at right back. He had an excellent game against Arsenal that was only marred by a split-second lapse in concentration which allowed Trossard to equalize. Despite this, he was excellent at both ends of the pitch supporting Raheem Sterling on the overlap or attacking from inside. Good performance. Rating: 3.5/5

(MF) Moises Caicedo - Moises Caicedo was immense and integral to the way Chelsea dominated the Arsenal midfield of Rice, Jorginho, and Odegaard. Strong defensively and slick in transition Caicedo is a class act. Who remembers his price tag? What a bargain! His partnership with Enzo looks ready to face any midfield in the world. Caicedo contributed massively to Arsenal being limited to just 6 attempts on goal before Sanchez's error gave them a lifeline. Against Man City, they had 15. Rating: 4/5

(MF) Enzo Fernandez - Enzo was part of a Chelsea midfield that outclassed Arsenal for the first 45 minutes. He was practically unplayable weaving passes and dictating Chelsea's play from deep. His excellent supporting cast of Caicedo and Gallagher are giving him a chance to express himself more with each game. Rating: 4/5

(MF) Conor Gallagher - Conor Gallagher is undoubtedly Chelsea's most improved player since last season. Against Arsenal, he possibly played his best game in Chelsea blue. It's becoming more clear why he gets picked ahead of more naturally gifted midfielders. His touch and passing have improved significantly and he continues to be a menace all across the pitch. Serious selection headaches are on the horizon which is not necessarily a bad thing for Chelsea right now. Rating: 4/5

Cole Palmer

(RW) Cole Palmer - Can we find more words to describe Cole Palmer? Something special is cooking at SW6 and this young man is at the centre of it. To be so composed at this level and to play the way he did yesterday, pulling the strings in midfield and attacking is something unique. He summed it all up with an untouchable penalty putting the icing on the Chelsea cake. Palmer had several excellent chances to score which he created out of almost nothing. And he's still warming up. Rating:4.5/5

(ST) Raheem Sterling - Raheem Sterling sometimes doesn't get the appreciation he deserves. In most of Chelsea's games this season he has been at the center of most good things driving Chelsea forward sometimes all by himself. He looks like he wants to prove a point this season and he's playing like it. He was a thorn in the flesh of Arsenal all game switching sides at random and popping up in dangerous positions all night long. Rating: 4/5

(LW) Mykhailo Mudryk - It's been many months and a bucket load of games but we are finally here. Mykhailo Mudryk is on the brink of becoming everything we suspected he could be. Some impatient onlookers feared he would never reach the lofty heights of greatness at least for Chelsea. But thank God for giving us a coach with the patience of Pochettino. He's giving this young man the platform to perform and express himself. And that goal? Yes, he meant it. And he is fully capable of that kind of wizardry. The excitement is growing. Rating: 4/5

Mykhailo Mudryk

Substitutes

Nicholas Jackson (for Mudryk) - Jackson came on to maintain the attacking momentum. Although he had a couple of fine chances to score including an opportunity where he was 1vs1 with Raya, was largely ineffective. He still needs to find his goal-scoring form from preseason. Rating: 2/5

Noni Madueke (for Sterling) - Noni came on for Raheem Sterling who had run himself into the ground. Noni's position on the left side was puzzling and to underline it he wasn't able to create anything of note. Rating: 2/5

Reece James (for Palmer) - Late substitute for an outstanding Cole Palmer with less than 10 minutes to play so had little impact on the game. Rating: N/A

Pochettino: It's been a long hard road for Mauricio Pochettino. He probably knew it wasn't going to be easy getting the youngest team in the premier league up and running in his first season in charge. He's already felt the pressure of being a Chelsea coach. Yesterday's display was by far the finest we've seen yet. The lineup was excellent considering the resources available and he set them up perfectly. 

It was a shame Robert Sanchez had to set everything ablaze with a moment of sheer madness. If there was any question in Pochettino's decision making then it had to be the substitutions. After the first goal, you would have expected Pochettino to shore up the midfield or the defense. However, it's still a five-star display for Pochettino regardless. Rating: 4/5

Chelsea FC: It's still only October so we still have lots and lots of football to play. As Chelsea gets into a stretch of games against some good top 6 teams including both Manchester Clubs, Newcastle, and Spurs nothing short of excellence will suffice. It's going to be a real test for Pochettino and his young guns. 

They've made an excellent start against Arsenal which suggests they have what it takes to hang with the best of them. The exciting part is that so many of Chelsea's top players such as Christoper Nkunku, Reece James, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Wesley Fofana are still on the injured list.

What is the real performance ceiling of this team? How much better can they get? No one knows. While some Chelsea fans are licking their lips it's a scary prospect for the rest of the Premier League.