Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah delivered a frank verdict after the Blues’ 2-1 Premier League defeat to London rivals Arsenal, insisting the squad must “look at ourselves and step up” as the season reaches a critical stretch.
Chelsea were edged out at the Emirates Stadium, with set-pieces proving decisive. Goals from William Saliba and Jurrien Timber swung the contest Arsenal’s way, while a Piero Hincapie own goal had briefly brought the Blues back on level terms.
The challenge became steeper after the break when Pedro Neto was dismissed for a second yellow card, leaving Chelsea to battle with 10 men.
Even so, the visitors pushed until the final moments and came agonisingly close to snatching a point, only to be denied by a series of sharp saves from David Raya.
For Chalobah, however, the frustration centred on how the goals were conceded, with the defender pointing to recurring issues that must be addressed quickly.
“We have to look at ourselves because we’ve been undone from two set-plays,” said the defender.
“We work a lot on set-pieces, both defensively and offensively, and we know how strong Arsenal are at them. These are the little details and we need to improve on them.
“We have to know our roles both collectively and individually, and we all need to step up. We’ve conceded too many goals from set-pieces, that’s why we are where we are in the table.”
The Blues will have an immediate chance to respond when they travel to Villa Park on Wednesday to face Aston Villa, a fixture that carries major weight in the race for Champions League qualification.
Chalobah is fully aware of the challenge ahead but believes the time has come for Chelsea to turn encouraging performances into tangible rewards.
He added: “We have to look at ourselves and really step up now, because we’re heading into a crucial part of the season.
“It’s true that we have a tough run of fixtures coming up, but all games are like that in the Premier League, to be honest.
“It’s time for everyone to keep positive, turn the performances into the three points and push up the table.”
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