Glenn Moore: Terry's rush of blood will be concern for Capello

After Anfield's war of attrition, the neutrals sinking slowly into their sofas will have hoped for a more expansive second act when Grand Slam Sunday shifted southwards.

The portents were promising. With Cesc Fabregas and Alex Hleb restored, Arsenal could be expected to reprise the flowing football last seen in the first hour at Villa Park a fortnight ago. And under Avram Grant, Chelsea are of course committed to delivering the sort of stylish spectacle the average billionaire might anticipate from a 400m investment.

So much for the theory. The first obstacle is the fitness of the modern footballer. All those dietary supplements, plates of grilled broccoli and scientific weights programmes have given footballers the physique of Olympic decathletes. When teams are as evenly matched as the big four are, the first half is mostly spent burning off all that excess energy and, given the high stakes and rivalries, earning the right to play by dint of thunderous tackling.

So it was at the Emirates yesterday. The first half hour was a scrap, mostly notable for further evidence of John Terry's disintegration as a suitable candidate to be the England captain. The off-field high jinks are unedifying, but of more concern to Fabio Capello will be Terry's growing tendency to lose his head under pressure. Had he not been invalided out of the fray yesterday he may well have been dismissed.

While his injury was the result of a nasty challenge from Emmanuel Ebou, it is hard to avoid the impression that Terry's habit of picking up knocks is a consequence of the way he plays. It may be a coincidence, but a few minutes before being injured, Terry had kicked out at Ebou.

Those criticisms notwithstanding, Terry's departure was telling. William Gallas would not have brushed Terry away as easily as he did Tal Ben Haim before scoring. The absence of Didier Drogba was even more significant. Without him Chelsea lack a focal point in attack. Andrei Shevchenko may be a shadow of the great player he once was, but he would be more effective given appropriate support.

Yesterday he led the line in a 4-3-3 of the old Scottish style, a touchline-hugging winger (Shaun Wright-Phillips), a jinky inside forward (Joe Cole) and a target man (Shevchenko). But Wright-Phillips is not good enough at this level, while Shevchenko is no target man in the Andy Gray mould. That, though, was what was required. By accident or design Chelsea's midfield, Frank Lampard included, played so deep, they were forced to play long. Only in the last 20 minutes, as Arsenal pulled back, did Chelsea start to build pressure, as against hitting and hoping.

Arsenal were also drawn into the early skirmishes, but they always looked to pass on the ground, and through players rather than into channels. Emmanuel Adebayor has added an extra dimension with his aerial presence, but the high ball is used only sparingly, and it is played to his chest more often than at his head. A defining feature of this Arsenal team is the desire to receive the ball in tight areas. Hleb and Fabregas attempted several ambitious one-twos in the Chelsea area whilst surrounded by blue shirts.

After the break, when energy levels had dipped forcing everyone to stop tearing around like the Duracell bunny, Arsenal were the team with the ability and nous to make use of the extra space. But for Petr Cech and the officials, they would have made the game safe long before the final whistle.

One wonders what Capello, who was presumably watching somewhere, made of this match. Although 19 of the 22 starters were internationals, the game bore no relation whatsoever to international football. The closing stages, with Alex leading a five-man attack for Chelsea, were reminiscent of the school yards, as play went from end-to-end. It says much for the enduring power of English football's traditions, and the urgings of supporters, that foreign players, and managers adapt to our game so readily.

But they have at least been brought up playing a more clinical, chess-like game, and can therefore adapt back when playing for their countries. English players grow up playing harem-scarem football, and so find it hard to play the more cerebral international game, especially as so few have played overseas.

Which is one reason why Owen Hargreaves and David Beckham can expect to figure in Capello's plans. Of the five English players on duty at the Emirates yesterday all for Chelsea only Joe Cole and, especially given the circumstances, namesake Ashley, emerged with credit.

Capello is going to have to persuade his new charges to change the way they have played all their lives. Before he heads for the airport, for today's unveiling, he might be tempted to read through the small print of that contract and see if there is a cooling off period that would enable him to back out.