It was Orlando, it was July, and the joke about the Florida Cup being played in the city of Disneyworld and Mickey Mouse is obvious.
But let’s be clear, even though it was a pre-season blow, Arsenal already look a million miles ahead of Chelsea in the race for the magical realm of the top four.
As they cross the Atlantic on their way home, Mikel Arteta could be forgiven for ordering a glass of wine or two. Thomas Tuchel might want to press the recline button on his flat bed. Unfortunately, when he wakes up, this won’t have been a bad dream.
Gabriel Jesus has continued his impressive goalscoring form since joining Arsenal this summer
Arsenal scored four, Chelsea none. It could have been more. The North Londoners looked poised, sharp and cohesive. Those in the west looked like a crowd.
Good first-half goals from a Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard ended what rarely looked like a game. Bukayo Saka’s second-half tap-in and Albert Sambi Lokonga’s header gave the scoreline some justice.
They will rightly be wary of false dawns at the Emirates, but this looks like a focused side who, if they can stay injury-free, ooze creativity.
In £45 million, Jesus, a man who was consistently inconsistent at Manchester City, seems to have found someone to convert the many chances they have.
The Brazilian made a good time to overtake Edouard Mendy in the first half
On the left, Jesus’ former City team-mate Oleksandr Zinchenko, full of ball runs and crafty interceptions, looked like he had been playing for the Gunners for years. He was actually making his debut.
You get the impression that Tuchel hasn’t been a big fan of Chelsea’s trip, which has seen them trudge through time zones and intense heat.
You also get the impression that he hasn’t been a big fan of his side’s laborious performances. The German lashed out at his players after the penalty shootout defeat against Charlotte FC and did so again here, gesticulating furiously from the bench.
Fitness may have played a key role and Arsenal, with one more game under their belts, looked sharper. But when Tuchel needs to find answers with the clock ticking towards the start of the season. It seems obscene, given the amount of money Chelsea have spent on strikers, who still need them.
And yet here we are. The club’s new American owners in attendance, blameless in a situation that would be comical if it weren’t so serious, have every right to feel shortchanged. It’s very, very early days, but for one night at least, Raheem Sterling didn’t have the same impact as Zinchenko in the 45 minutes they both spent on the field.
Thomas Tuchel was visibly upset with his Chelsea team after the first 45 minutes
Except for the lack of aggression and abusive throws from the stands, this looked like an okay game and for the 63,811 in attendance, it was. There is a lot of snobbery about bringing the US nation’s game to the UK and there shouldn’t be. This is a very informed, loyal and passionate fan base.
The vast majority of people present had taken flights and booked expensive hotel rooms to be here. On Saturday night, the Irish bars in downtown Orlando were packed with fans of both clubs, without any problems.
As with NFL games at Wembley, taking the game to a global stage shouldn’t be sniffed at with disorientation. The Camping World Stadium split into raucous halves of red and blue, The Liquidator blasted through the loudspeakers and Gunnersaurus sent Chelsea fans into a frenzy before kick-off. The game will be remembered for a long time by those who rarely get the chance to see their team in the flesh, especially those in red.
Arsenal had seen off Everton and Orlando City and came out the fresher of the two. Any hints that this might just be a kick were quickly put to rest when Sterling called out former team-mate Jesus, practically from the start. Perhaps belated payback for the chances he missed while the pair were at the Etihad.
Arsenal fans were very vocal throughout the game at Florida’s Camping World Stadium
From a wasted Chelsea corner, Arsenal went ahead, with Gabriel Martinelli playing in Saka, who clipped Edouard Mendy’s legs.
Before the tour, Mendy had received suggestions from journalists that he might be working on his distribution. If he was your mailman, you might want him fired. Twice in the space of two minutes, bad clearances put his team under pressure, but it was Trevoh Chalobah who made the fatal mistake when he misplaced a pass to Granit Xhaka who, with a touch, played Jesus.
Showing a composure rarely seen at City, the Brazilian calmly advanced towards Mendy before neatly breaking the Frenchman to give the Gunners the lead and make it four goals in four pre-season games.
Tuchel angrily jumped off the bench and, at the drink break, returned, gesticulating to his side.
The Gunners’ final pre-season game will see them take on Sevilla in the Emirates Cup
There seemed to be little difference. In the 36th minute, the lead was doubled when Martinelli slipped the ball through for Odegaard, who took a touch, turned and slotted past a standing Mendy and inside his far post. It started with a Mendy kick.
A Reece James cross that eluded everyone, perhaps underscoring Chelsea’s need for a striker, at least showed a sign of life, while Mason Mount hit the post with the final effort of a lopsided half.
A dull start to the second, which had the crowd going for the Mexican wave, lasted 20 minutes before Arsenal made it three. Martinelli and Xhaka watched as Mendy stopped shots before Saka, looking suspiciously offside, came on.
Michy Batshuayi, whose wasted chances on this tour have been a sight to behold, went off the rails soon after. Just when those of the Chelsea persuasion might have got hold of the bottle, it was announced that the stadium had suspended alcohol sales. It was that kind of night for them. It got worse when Lokonga headed home a well-timed Cedric cross in stoppage time. At least £34 million Kalidou Koulibaly got his first minutes.
The two sides were expected to take off at similar times in London. Arsenal will probably win this race too.
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