Well that could have gone better…
Arsenal’s 100% pre-season win record this year is now in tatters after Chelsea deservedly thumped them 3-0 on Saturday at the Bird’s Nest in Bejing. Not that it actually matters because, you know, pre-season.
The Gunners started slowly with the terrible pitch preventing them from zipping the ball across the surface.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles at right-back look particularly sluggish as other players tried to get to grips with the spongy grass.
This pitch looks pants
— JB™ (@gunnerpunner) July 22, 2017
This is comical
— JB™ (@gunnerpunner) July 22, 2017
nice homage to Glastonbury festival pitch
— Andy Hug (@MightyGooner81) July 22, 2017
Pitch is preparing us for our trip to Stoke
— You Are My Arsenal (@YouAreMyArsenal) July 22, 2017
Ramsey doing step overs in his own box aksksksksk this guy is my hero
— ㅤAR (@ReidTheGame) July 22, 2017
Ashley Maintland Piles – what pre-season is for though
— Welshy (@Welsh_Gooner) July 22, 2017
Maintland-Niles had a nightmare with that touch!
— Renato (@th14Renato) July 22, 2017
Chelsea, who were unhindered by the poor pitch, should have been two goals up within minutes as their strong, decisive passes cut through the Arsenal defence.
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/888732846361157632
The Arsenal players continued to struggle against the playing conditions, which included ridiculous humidity, although Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil combined well, and Granit Xhaka had less trouble with the ball than most of the players.
The vision from Ozil, the run from Ramsey. Think that combination will be common next season.
— Renato (@th14Renato) July 22, 2017
One of the talking points of the first half, apart from Rambo being a beast throughout, was David Ospina clattering Pedro.
https://twitter.com/ArsenalFC_fl/status/888732823213027328
YES SUPER DAVE!
— Sir Nils Olav (@LePhantomMenace) July 22, 2017
Ospina auditioning for a part in the Justice league.
— Kick Arse (@kickarseHD) July 22, 2017
The Lehmann effect in action
— You Are My Arsenal (@YouAreMyArsenal) July 22, 2017
Ospina saw your Szczesny/Bale tweets and just wants to be loved
— Emperor Bumblewank (@CapableOfFlight) July 22, 2017
I'm missing the game but judging by my timeline it would appear that Ospina has killed Pedro. Jens Lehmann working his magic already.
— FK³ (@fkhanage) July 22, 2017
Michy Batshuayi scored for Chelsea but it was harshly ruled offside before Willian finally put the Blues ahead.
Szczesny would have saved that
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) July 22, 2017
Batshuayi then doubled their lead before half-time.
People always say overreacting but this is like 3 players off our starting XI, and we're being dominated and creating nothing.
— Tom (@Tomthegunner) July 22, 2017
Mertesacker will still be good with the right players around him, but Monreal, Maitland-Niles, Ox and Bramall isn't that.
— AFC Dan (@afcDW) July 22, 2017
As is the norm during pre-season matches, it was all change at half time with Laurent Koscielny, Mohamed Elneny, Sead Kolasinac, Francis Coquelin, Danny Welbeck and Olivier Giroud coming on.
However, despite looking marginally brighter with the inclusion of Giroud, it only took a few minutes for Batshuayi to put Chelsea 3-0 ahead in the second half.
Turns out Ospina's arms weren't on the team sheet either
— 1886Gunners (@Timbo_Slice1991) July 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/afcDW/status/888744648843415557
Ospina trying to save that last goal. Like when a kid is trying to get something off the top shelf in Tesco
— Kick Arse (@kickarseHD) July 22, 2017
Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock were brought on late in order to mount a 4-3 comeback.
Of course, despite it being a pre-season match, some Gooners frustrated about their team’s lack of creativity considering they were only a few players off what will be their starting line-up in August, while others didn’t really care.
The fans that weren’t frustrated by Arsenal’s performance were frustrated with the others for being frustrated by a friendly. Class Arsenal Twitter, basically.
If you look at it on a game basis it's been poor. But hardly a reason to jump to conclusions. I mean, Bayern lost 4-0 to Milan today.
— SlovenianGooner (@slovenianGooner) July 22, 2017
Grown men ruining their Saturday over a friendly on the Chinese Hackney Marshes.
— En (@EnEngin14) July 22, 2017
Would probably still take the FA Cup win but have to say it's pretty close right now.
— Jonny (@JonnyOneill) July 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/Chezzygooner/status/888754227052457985
Arsenal’s best chance, annoyingly, came via Nelson, who’d only just come on, about five minutes before the final whistle, which tells you everything you need to know about the match overall.