Arsenal was eliminated from the Capital One Cup after a 2-0 loss against Chelsea on Tuesday.
The English side carried a 12-game undefeated run against English sides into the match; Arsenal had not lost against English opposition since its opening game against Aston Villa.
The two sides dressed a number of reserve players while also retaining a few starters on the starting lineup. Chelsea got on the board in the 24th minute when Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson headed the ball back toward his goal keeper. However, Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta got to the ball first and fired it past goalie Lukasz Fabianski.
In the second half, Chelsea's Juan Mata reminded Coach Jose Mourinho that he was still a superstar in the league when he fired a cannon of a shot from outside the penalty area to give Chelsea a 2-0 lead that it would never relinquish. Mata has struggled to remain in the starting lineup for Mourinho's Chelsea and has only featured in six matches this season.
Arsenal has now suffered two major setbacks against top opponents in the last few weeks. The club lost 2-1 at home against Borussia in the Champions League despite dominating play. Tuesday's loss against Chelsea could cause many to question whether Arsenal is truly a title contender this season. The club's Premier League schedule has been relatively "easy" to date and has not featured a single match against Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, or Liverpool. Arsenal's only major win against high profile squad was a 1-0 win over Tottenham earlier in the year.
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