United scored four goals, three from set-pieces, as Chris Smalling, Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba with his first goal since his return from Juventus, all found the back of the net between the 22nd and 42nd minutes at Old Trafford.
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I feel, especially in the first half, we wanted to play with high pace, put them under pressure, play at a very high collective connection and speed of passing – it worked quite well.
“A lot of work is needed: now we are a great team on paper, not on the pitch”.
Granit Xhaka was on for the injured Francis Coquelin by that stage and early in the second half the Switzerland global released Walcott inside the Chelsea box but his attempt to pick out Sanchez was wasteful.
“I said this before we have two defeats and this message is good for the present and for the future”, he said.
“John is recovering from a bad injury but I don’t like to talk about players that today didn’t play”, Conte said.
Instead, Arsenal stormed into a 2-0 lead within 14 minutes thanks to goals from Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott before Mesut Ozil’s 40th-minute strike took the match beyond the reach of a lacklustre and defensively fragile Chelsea side. We got almost the ideal first half and that is not bad.
“In the second half it was a bit in and out but in the first half we have shown great quality”, he said.
Conte’s side, who enjoyed a promising start to the season before drawing at Swansea City and losing at home to Liverpool, were behind after just eleven minutes when Alexis Sanchez struck.
“I have to solve the situation, which at the moment is conceding a minimum of two goals”. I also don’t think that we can place all of the blame on the formation selection.
Forty yards from goal, the England centre-back allowed himself to be robbed by Sanchez, who surged into the box before clipping a lovely finish over Courtois for his fourth goal in three games.
They have added a solitary point after three consecutive wins at the start of the campaign and are now down in eighth, below Crystal Palace on goal difference.
‘Nothing in life or in football comes easy, you always go up and down, but we know when you’re in a difficult position you have to work hard and prepare for the next game. The pitch speaks. The pitch is the most important thing for us: not the words, not on paper.
The most impressive performance of the day came from Arsenal, which marked the 20th anniversary of Arsene Wenger’s appointment by beating Chelsea.
“We must work a lot to find continuity”.
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Liverpool were already on their way to a third straight league win when Ahmed Elmohamady was sent off in the 29th minute.
