Returning Borrowers
Conor Gallagher has generally had a good tour for Chelsea, although he never wants to see that penalty against Charlotte FC again. But this was not his best 45 minutes and he was lucky not to be booked for a late challenge at Saka. The 4-3-3 formation in the first half didn’t suit Chelsea and Gallagher, who was loaned out to Crystal Palace last season, seemed to struggle in there, giving up possession too often, although his pace couldn’t be faulted.
William Saliba was loaned out to Marseille last season, but made an impressive impression at Arsenal during pre-season. This was his third appearance in pre-season and they didn’t concede a single goal with the Frenchman on the pitch. Saliba was fairly comfortable with Chelsea’s threats in Orlando and the 21-year-old could be a breakthrough star for Arsenal this season.
goalkeepers
It was during Chelsea’s training camp in Los Angeles that Edouard Mendy gasped a little when asked about his distribution. The goalkeeper, who has been such a star for Chelsea, clearly disagreed with the assessment that it is the area of his game that requires the most attention.
But his performance against Arsenal suggested that Mendy’s distribution should indeed be improved. He had already gotten away with some bad kicks and passes, before the Senegal international’s poor 36th minute led to Arsenal’s second goal, scored by Odegaard.
Aaron Ramsdale, on the other hand, impressed with his kicking and distribution, rarely managed to find a teammate and looked cool under pressure. He also blew kisses to the Chelsea fans at the Camping World Stadium, who gave him a baton.