Match Report – Player Ratings – By the numbers – Video

While I completely stand by my point of view that you can’t read too much into yesterday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea, it can still be thoroughly enjoyed, and it was a very nice way to round off what has been a very positive pre-season.

Arsene Wenger plumped for Theo Walcott up top, perhaps to see how he’d fare in a game against a more solid defence than Aston Villa and West Brom. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got the nod on the right hand side, while Aaron Ramsey was back in the middle with Santi Cazorla out left. It suggests that the already competitive midfield area is set to become even more so because as long as the Ox is fit, he’s going to start there ahead of a player who prefers to be central like Ramsey or Wilshere.

After referee Anthony Taylor had let Ramires away with his customary attempt to flay an opponent with his studs, we took the lead in the 24th through Oxlade-Chamberlain. Ozil spread the ball from the left to Walcott in the middle, he fed the Ox on the right and although Azpilicueta thought he was tight enough to prevent any danger, a little step inside created enough room for him to lash the ball into the top corner with his left foot. A goal of genuine quality from a player who knows he should be scoring more, so this was a very impressive way of starting his new season.

At other end Chelsea’s best chance came when Remy accidentally stayed onside once and put in a fantastic cross for Ramires, but the Brazilian, picturing the ball as some kind of orphan that he wanted to headbutt to death, thumped his header over the bar when he really should have leveled things up.

At half-time they brought on Falcao whose most telling contribution was late on when the ball was bouncing around the Arsenal area. Rather than try and head it, he decided elbowing Mikel Arteta in the head was the best choice for him, and it’s decision making like that which has seen his stock fall so far since he came to England. You very rarely score when you’re trying to knock a chap’s block off, but I can’t imagine anyone at Chelsea would do anything to dissuade him.

With Walcott struggling a bit up top we brought on Giroud and looked a bit more dangerous, and as the game wound down we introduced a measure of cynicism that must have been very annoying for Mourinho because that’s usually what his teams do. There were chances to seal the deal when Ramsey set Cazorla free but his finish was a bit timid, and the Spaniard was creator for Kieran Gibbs but Courtois made a fine save.

Their best chance came from a free kick which saw Petr Cech make a fantastic save to stop the ball going into the top corner, so after clean sheets against Wolfsburg and Lyon, the defensive side of our pre-season has been particularly positive with another one against last season’s champions.

Afterwards, Per Mertesacker reiterated that this was just a pre-season game, but it was interesting to hear Arsene Wenger talk about how the desire to beat Chelsea inhibited his players from an attacking point of view. Asked if the Mourinho thing had been on his mind, he said:

I must honestly say that it didn’t play on my mind at all. As long as I get it served every time in press conferences it can have an impact on the team. Certainly the way my team behaved during some periods in the game, it helped. It was important for them to get that hurdle out of the way.

I believe that we defended because there was maybe a bit of a psychological hurdle ahead of my players. They were more concerned with protecting our lead against Chelsea rather than playing attacking football. We have to accept that and I don’t think that’s giving up your philosophy, it’s a punctual fact that we wanted to win a game like that. I’m quite proud of that.

Of course we have to wait and see if this has an real effect, the true measure will be when we face them in the league, but it certainly won’t have done any harm. At the very least it means we avoid the countless think-pieces we’d have had today about Wenger’s record against Mourinho if they’d won instead, so for that alone we should be grateful for the victory.

But look, any piece about Arsenal and Chelsea wouldn’t be complete without a little bit Wenger Mourinho niggle, and after the game we certainly got it. You can speculate yourself as to why the Portuguese waited to shake hands with all the Arsenal players. If you want to believe it was a ‘touch of class’ from a man who has never before exhibited that kind of behaviour towards Arsenal, go right ahead. I’m not buying it.

Arsene Wenger was last down the Wembley stairs, and as Mourinho dealt with the last Arsenal player, he simply ghosted behind him leaving the Chelsea manager to spin away and throw his loser’s medal into the crowd. The cheer from the crowd said it all, they knew what they’d seen. Like a French phantom Wenger ghosted him completely.

Some will say grown men should act differently, but after everything Mourinho has said down the years, I admire the fact that Wenger won’t act like a hypocrite and shake hands for the cameras or because it’s traditional or custom to do so. The two men dislike each other intensely, and you know, that’s all right. There’s no rule saying you have to get on, and no harm in that enmity being public. It’s all part of the great pantomime.

So, overall a fun day out. You could see towards the end that there’s still a bit of sharpness and physical work to do, but in terms of getting ourselves ready for the new season it’s been pretty much ideal. Results and performances have been good, now we have to take that into the opening day against West Ham and make sure we keep that momentum going.

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There will be an Arsecast Extra for you this morning, but as it was recorded last night not long after the game, there’s no need for questions. It’s more or less ready to go, so it’ll be available for you mid-morning. I should warn you, it contains elements of gloating, smuggery, swagger and genuine evil.

Right then, have at it it in the Arses, podcast later, news throughout the day on Arseblog News, and more from me here tomorrow.