Martin Keown was disappointed not to see Mateo Kovacic in the starting line up for Chelsea against Arsenal.
Speaking on BT Sport in the aftermath of the Gunners’ 1-0 victory, Keown quizzed Graham Potter’s decision to bench Kovacic for the derby.
Potter will point towards the fitness of the £40m Croatia international as the reason behind his absence from the initial XI.
The midfielder missed Wednesday’s Champions League victory over Dinamo Zagreb due to a minor problem.
Although he returned to the matchday squad for the Premier League meeting in the capital, Kovacic began on the bench for the Blues.
He had to wait 78 minutes before entering the fray, but by that point, the game was pretty much gone.
Arsenal outplayed their hosts, demonstrating what a functional side should look like as to appose to Chelsea’s jumbled together outlook.
A midfield three of Jorginho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount hardly laid a glove on the opposing trio.
Perhaps the fight would’ve evened out had Kovacic been in the ring from the off.
Kovacic key
“I’m looking at Kovacic on the bench and thinking actually I love how he stitches things together,” remarked Keown.
“He’s neat and tidy and he would’ve maybe offered a little bit more in midfield today.”
Chelsea seriously lacked any control or cohesion without Kovacic cruising in their midriff.
His absence seeped through to the rest of the 11, who made a real mess of the collision in London.
Mistakes were in abundance, especially for the goal that sealed the tie.
To avoid such a poor performance, perhaps Potter will think twice about leaving Kovacic out again for such a huge occasion.
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