Why Arsenal have not missed lightweight Cesc Fàbregas this season | Barney Ronay

It has been suggested that Arsène Wenger blundered by not bringing Fàbregas back, but the Chelsea midfielder is simply not versatile or mobile enough
• Daniel Taylor’s match report: Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea
José Mourinho hits back at ‘boring’ chants

This was a match that seemed to start grinding to a halt pretty much from kick-off as both teams congealed into a familiar reflection of their more notorious strengths and weaknesses. Arsenal were fluent but lacked a killer edge. Chelsea were full of guile and gristle. Towards the end of what was an absorbing enough room temperature 0-0 draw Arsenal’s fans sang: “Boring, boring Chelsea,” while the away corner responded: “We are top of the league,” producing between them a real life summary of the tediously irresolvable social media debate about style versus substance, icing on the cake versus medals on the table.

There were plenty of virtues on display. Arsenal might have snatched the game at the end. John Terry showed why he has been the most influential player in the Premier League this year. And Cesc Fàbregas left the pitch just before the end to loud boos, confirming over 89 minutes not only the exemplary grudge-holding capacity of English football fans, but also the Cesc‑flavoured deficiencies in at least one of these teams.

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via Chelsea | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1OVqjhx