3 Eye-Catching Stats From Arsenal’s 4-0 Thumping of Chelsea
Arsenal have enjoyed an excellent pre-season so far, with the Gunners superb form culminating in a 4-0 thrashing of London rivals Chelsea in the final of the Florida Cup.
Of course, Arsenal are further ahead of the Blues in terms of pre-season preparation, but this was an impressive and destructive performance that combined fluent attacking football with aggressive pressing and a solid defence.
Now is certainly a good time to consider backing Arsenal for a top four finish with a huge free bet with Stake Bet, with the Gunners seemingly well placed to go at least one better than last season.
But what are the most eye-catching stats from Arsenal’s Florida Cup win? Let’s find out!
#1. Arsenal Showcase Their Clinical Edge
The final win was an authoritative showing by Arsenal, who were efficient in possession, organised in transition and ultimately clinical in front of goal.
This was borne out by the numbers. The Gunners edged possession (53% to 47%) but did far more with the ball, for example, while they struck 10 goal attempts to Chelsea’s four and placed seven of these on target (compared to two).
The clinical nature of Arsenal’s performance was also reflected by the expected goals data. Despite scoring four times, the Gunners had an expected goals metric of just 2.44, while their solid and aggressive defensive display limited Chelsea to a meagre 0.20xG.
#2. Jesus Shines and His Teammates Deliver
Jesus scored the opener in Florida following a mistake by Trevoh Chalobah, meaning that the Brazilian has plundered four goals in as many games for his new teammates.
This equates to a goal every 47.5 minutes in an Arsenal shirt, suggesting that the Brazilian will shine now that he has a starring role with an EPL side.
During his time at City, Jesus scored 58 EPL goals at a rate of one every 160 minutes, with this output restricted by a number of substitute appearances and the fact that he was often deployed from the left flank.
Overall, Jesus has played a huge role in Arsenal maintaining a 100% record during pre-season, with the Gunners beating Ipswich Town, FC Nurnberg, Everton, Orlando City and Chelsea while scoring 19 goals and conceding just five.
#3. Saliba and Gabriel Dominate the Defence
It’s thought that Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival will add immense versatility to the squad, while also providing additional strength to the back line.
However, it’s the precocious William Saliba who has really stood out defensively in pre-season, being one of just two players to complete 90 minutes during the 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea.
Interestingly, the other player to achieve this feat was Saliba’s centre half partner Gabriel, with both performing admirably while the marauding Ben White shifted over to right back.
This may well be Arsenal’s centre back pairing when the season commences in August, while it should be noted that the Gunners have yet to concede in pre-season while Saliba is on the pitch (three appearances and 192 minutes).
