These are a selection of the comments posted yesterday in reaction to our home defeat to Chelsea

Big Raddy ……

5 minutes of naivety cost us the game.

Fairplay to Chelsea they defended very well and we did not create a single clear chance

We were really good in the second half and perhaps deserved a draw.

The return of Sanchez will be important and just because we lost today it does not mean we are out of the title race but today’s defeat hurt … a lot

Fatgingergooner …..

I thought we played well with 10 and you cant accuse the players of not trying. The sending off ruined our chances. poor decision by Merts. If we go 1-0 with 11 we still have a great chance to win the game.

It was tough to take but Sanchez looked good and Burnley next week to help get over it.

Gooner In Exile …..

The second Sanchez came on the pitch we had another dimension, Ozil came alive knowing there was at least one more he could work with at that level that very few can, both Alexis and Ozil draw defenders in and mainly keep it. The thing that Ozil does so well and that probably highlights the weaknesses of others is knowing when to release it and how to release it. He rarely plays a pass blind whereas so many others seem to judging by where the pass ends up, sometimes it’s better to keep the ball and try another angle than force a pass where one doesn’t exist.

So up side from the game is Alexis is back, upside from the weekend is we are still within 3 points of the leader and have both teams above us to play. So it’s in our hands.

We need to get out of this dip and go on a run of four or five wins.

Next 5 games, Southampton, Bournemouth, Leicester, United, Swansea. We will soon find out if we have the stomach for the title challenge.

Rockylives …..

We actually created quite a few half- and there-quarter chances even after going 0-1 down, but we didn’t have the composure to make the most of them.

Mesut picked a bad day to have a rare poor performance and Fabregas, who has been poor all year, looked much the better player.

Shard …..

Frustrated, but with some pride as well.

I don’t think we played very well. We played well enough to win, if we hadn’t been stupid for 5 minutes. Where was the midfield, why was Kos languishing rather than busting a gut to get level, and why did Per dive in? I would add that Costa went down without a touch, and that Clattenburg hence got it wrong, but that is besides the point.

Theo. Not a very good way to celebrate being captain. Once again a poor performance, and his lack of tecnhical ability is a real issue at times. Now that Alexis is back, I’d drop Theo, unless he’s playing through the middle. Poor Giroud. I wouldn’t have subbed him off, but the logic of going for speed over a target man is sound. I was furious that we conceded just a minute after that substitution. That piece of defending really annoys me. If we’d kept it at 0-0, I think we would have won even with 10 men.

Did anyone see a replay of the handball appeal we had just before the red card? I didn’t, and to me that signifies something fishy, because that is what used to happen earlier. Wrong decisions not shown on replay.

MickyDidIt89 …..

Completely agree with the importance of getting Coquelin and Sanchez back

If anyone had told me when those two first went injured, that two months later when they were returning we’d be level on points with City, and three points behind leaders Leicester, a. I’d have they were bonkers and b. I’d have taken it in a heart beat

Very disappointing today, but very much all to play for.

Also, I don’t think it will damage confidence one bit, as the team will understand the significance of those returning, and also the uphill mountain faced by any team going down to ten men so early in any match.

Peachesgooner …..

That was a very sad game of football although it’s fantastic to have Alexis back and amazing how Ozil and Alexis find each other.

Usual scummy tactics from Diego Costa. Per had already made me worried in the opening minutes where I’m sure his brain knew what he wanted his legs to do but somehow they couldn’t keep up with his train of thought 😦 Anyone think Gabriel would have started ahead of Per if there hadn’t been the history?

I’d love us to hold onto the ball better when moving forward, we just waste too many passes at the moment but hopefully Coquelin will steady the ship when he gets back.

Ozil ran and ran and ran, he must’ve be shattered.

On another day Flamini would have been a hero and scored one of his chances.

Still in the top four and three points off the top, all good really 🙂

LB …

I want to cry.

….. If you’ve got anything to add to those observations, join us in comments and have your say ……..