Shield loss shows up Chelsea’s weakness

Gary Cahill says Chelsea can not afford many injuries this season as they try to defend their Premier League title while returning to the Champions League with a squad short on numbers.

Missed spot-kicks from Thibaut Courtois and Chelsea club-record signing Alvaro Morata, meant that if the following two penalties were converted by Arsenal, they would go onto win.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the strength of competition in the Premier League means his side can not afford another false start if they are to challenge for the title.

“It’s not a tactical move, but I’m sure Conte can go to the board and say he needs more players”.

“It’s hard to reflect positively because emotionally we’re disappointed, but if we’re trying to take the positives I felt we were in control of the game up until the goal and the sending off”. While the Swiss global had some disciplinary difficulties, he grew steadily in stature during his first campaign for the Gunners, and towards the end of the season he was integral to the new system that saw Wenger deploy three at the back for the first time in his Arsenal reign.

“We’ve had some bad starts over the last four years in the first games in the Premier League but we have the intensity in our preparations that we need to be ready”.

“Physically he is naturally very strong”, Wenger said of Kolasinac, who was a free recruit after being out of contract at Schalke. “Mesut got a kick on his ankle and it’s swollen so he couldn’t play”.

“The mood in the camp is fine”, the England worldwide added. He added that every game is a battle in the Premier League and that it is a dream to make the fans happy. “We’re training double sessions before playing the games, so in terms of fatigue or feeling fresh for those games is definitely not how you feel going into those games”. ‘He was outstanding, ‘ Wenger said.

“If there is a player that shows you in the training session to be one of the best, you pick him”. And he’s the second part. Handling Chelsea’s sporadic attacks in commanding fashion, he looks capable of thriving in the physical Premier League and should give Wenger a versatile defensive option.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that he will sell players this summer.

It was summer signing Morata’s first competitive appearance for the Blues, with the 24-year-old striker replacing Batshuayi as a second-half substitute.