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A trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal may not be what most Premier League teams have in mind as the ideal platform to bounce back from a humbling home loss, but in Chelsea’s case, that might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
This season, Chelsea have had much better luck away (8 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses) than at home (6 wins, 3 draws, 6 losses), especially in the Premier League, and while we must figure out why we have been faring so poorly at the Bridge after years of having it as our fortress, the season keeps moving along at breakneck pace in the meantime.
Hence why captain César Azpilicueta wants to draw as many lessons as quickly as possible from our last two results, the 2-0 win at Nameless Tottenham Stadium, and the 2-0 loss to Southampton at Stamford Bridge. The former could work as the blueprint of things that Chelsea should be doing to win matches, whereas the latter is the exact opposite.
“We have to look at what we have done well, especially in the game at Tottenham when we found a team where we all felt together and we played well. Even after we were 11 against 10 and we could manage better the game, it is not easy to go there and to win 2-0.
“But we have to learn from the Southampton game as well, because it is important to see the reality and to see where we must do better if we want to be at the top.”
Arsenal have a new head coach in Mikel Arteta, a former Spanish international who spent the last three years as assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Last time Chelsea faced a new head coach in his first home game, we lost very badly at Everton to (interim boss) Duncan Ferguson. Yet another lesson that needs to be learned quickly then.
“For Arsenal it is a new beginning with a new coach but for us it is a massive game after losing against Southampton. It is a London derby and obviously we have to bounce back after the disappointing Boxing Day.”
-César Azpilicueta; source: Chelsea FC
Obviously.