Five Truths: John Terry no longer guaranteed to start, Alexis Sanchez spurs on Arsenal

One stat says it all.

Jose Mourinho admitted after Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Chelsea that John Terry’s substitution was for tactical reasons. He was not injured. He was not being saved for a big game. He was not tired.

It was half-time in a huge match for Chelsea and their captain and leader did not return for the second half. It was only 1-0, and although City had been the dominant team in the first period, Mourinho and his men have overcome bigger obstacles.

So this was an incredible vote of no confidence in Terry.

The club’s pursuit of John Stones is another indicator that the centre-back's days as automatic first choice are numbered. They are planning for a future without him.

He was caught out by the pace and verve of Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling yesterday. Undoubtedly you cannot write him off, he is still one of the best defenders in the country. But many more matches like that and he might be demoted to a squad role sooner than many Chelsea fans think.

While the champions’ outfield players were seeking medical attention, engaging in handbags with their ultimately-superior opponents and sulking over being subbed off, Asmir Begovic entered an impressive performance in goal despite conceding three.

Since many assumed his arrival at Stamford Bridge would be one which involved him warming the bench in return for a wage every week, it was vital to any ambition the stopper still harbours that he looked the business whenever he did get a major opportunity. And by constantly thwarting a switched-on Sergio Aguero before ultimately being beaten by the Argentine in some style, Begovic is perhaps the only Chelsea player who can say his stock rose after the contest.

There was something missing in Arsenal’s defeat to West Ham on the opening weekend and confirmation came at Selhurst Park that it was Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean enlivened Arsenal when coming on as a substitute a week ago but this was his first start of the season and it showed as the team had more threat and urgency about them. Sanchez was guilty of missing a couple of very simple chances but his infectious enthusiasm was rubbing off on a team which looked strangely stale against West Ham.

After Joel Ward responded to Olivier Giroud’s stunning volley, it was Sanchez who made the difference for Arsenal yet again. Hector Bellerin lifted a cross to the back post and there was the forward charging in at full pelt to get a firm head to the ball at the back post and induce Damien Delaney into a mistake when poking the ball into his own net. Sanchez’s insatiable desire for work – demonstrated perfectly in this moment, when his energy and application forced a goal - is one of Arsenal’s greatest assets.

What is Laurent Koscielny up to? Against West Ham, both he and Per Mertesacker stood and watched a shot from Mauro Zarate roll past them and beyond an equally culpable Petr Cech. It was strange to see neither man even attempt to throw out a leg and block the attempt. You could put it down to early-season rustiness if you were being kind.

But a week on and Koscielny was at it again. This time Joel Ward struck a low effort from range and inexplicably the Frenchman not only failed to block it but even turned out of the way of the rather meek shot. It was the kind of behaviour that would have earned you a dressing down from a primary school coach and was pretty unforgiveable. The centre-back is prone to the odd penalty-box lapse but generally he is Arsenal’s most consistent defender – making this incident all the more confusing.

The crowd at Selhurst Park were treated to an engrossing game which was blessed with a constant stream of chances. This was as much down to Palace’s open approach as it was Arsenal’s excellence on the ball as the visitors had enough opportunities to kill the game off before half-time, with Sanchez notably and unusually guilty of some misses – the most glaring of which came when Palace left one player back for a corner and Arsenal hit on the break. It was brave of Palace to line up in such an attacking fashion, with Connor Wickham making his first start in attack supported by Jason Puncheon, Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie. With Yohan Cabaye playing deep, James McArthur was the only true holding player and it was down to him to try and keep things together at times.

Palace’s endeavour was admirable, but self-defeating. On another day, Arsenal would have been 3-0 up at the break and Alan Pardew would probably have been better off using Mile Jedinak instead of Puncheon, with Cabaye pushed forward. Buoyed by a good summer in the transfer market, Pardew followed in the footsteps of Tony Pulis, who played a surprisingly open 4-4-2 against Manchester City last weekend and paid for it. Pulis said using both Rickie Lambert and Saido Berahino went “against everything I have ever done against bigger teams. We have always filled the midfield and been strong. I thought playing the two up front in our first home game of the season in front of a full ground, being positive … it was the wrong decision.” Perhaps Pardew should have curtailed his ambition too.