Arsenal raged against their title dream dying at the Emirates on Tuesday night, but the truth is they didn’t need to rage very hard.
Humiliated by Manchester City last week and going four games without a win, they were a side in need of an easy night and a boost of confidence ahead of the final run-in. Chelsea obliged on both counts.
As good as Arsenal were, as well as much of their play brought back happy memories of the wonderful football they’ve played this season, the surprising thing about this London derby was how bad Chelsea were in the first half as they embarrassed their club and to their fans.
Mauricio Pochettino would be close to a deal to take over Stamford Bridge next season, but the former Spurs boss posted a picture of a walk on the beach with his dog Sansa and if he saw this he might have decided that Sansa would be much easier to train.
Arsenal’s 3-1 win returned them to the top of the table, two points ahead of City, who have two games left. Chelsea remain twelfth, nine points clear of the relegation zone. They won’t go down, but they play like the dregs of the division.
Gabriel Jesus celebrates shooting Arsenal to a 3-0 lead at the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners cruised to victory in London
Arsenal never seemed to be tested by the Blues as they ripped from the very start of the Premier League game against the Blues
With the victory, Arsenal returns to the top of the Premier League with two points after the big victory in the London derby
This was their sixth successive defeat since caretaker manager Frank Lampard took over and their £600 million collection of superstars looked like a rabble. They played like misfits, not the elite group they should be.
Arsenal were fantastic in the first 45 minutes, but it was embarrassingly easy for Mikel Arteta’s side. Chelsea looked devoid of motivation, devoid of spirit, devoid of pride, devoid of composure, devoid of defiance, devoid of determination. The fans of Arsenal enjoyed making fun of them.
Arteta had reacted to City’s defeat by dropping Thomas Partey, who had been struggling for some time, Rob Holding, who may still be chasing Erling Haaland somewhere, and Gabriel Martinelli. Jakub Kiwior got a full debut in the back.
Both managers went desperate for a spark to fuel the faltering form. Lampard looked for it by giving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a starting spot, betting on the ex’s law. It did not work.
Martin Odegaard opened the scoring for Arsenal with an excellent shot that came in off the underside of the crossbar
Odegaard celebrates his goal with teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko at the Emirates Stadium in a dominant manner
Odegaard struck for the second time in the first half after betting home from the penalty stop as Arsenal rioted in the derby
Gunners captain jumps for joy in front of home fans as Arsenal return to top of the table
Mikel Arteta cheers Arsenal supporters post-match after his side’s impressive display in the London derby
Aubameyang has a lot of experience at Arsenal. He was stripped of the captain’s armband and moved to Barcelona. Lampard could have imagined he was eager to impress. It didn’t look like that. Aubameyang was anonymous in the first half. Almost the only time he touched the ball was to squander a rare opening with a heavy touch.
Chelsea had scored just once in their previous seven games, but they have no shortage of weaknesses at the back either, and a defensive error in the opening five minutes saw Arsenal almost take the lead.
When the ball was allowed to bounce into the area, Cesar Azpilicueta tried to head the ball back to Kepa Arrizabalaga, but he left the ball woefully short. Granit Xhaka crept up to it and volleyed it towards goal, but Kepa blocked it from close range.
Ten minutes later, Kepa stopped a Bukayo Saka header with a last-ditch dive, but it wasn’t long before Arsenal’s pressure started to work. A square pass from Xhaka was allowed to roll over Chelsea’s edge to Odegaard, who had time and space to curl a shot over Chelsea’s keeper. Kepa reached for it with his fingertips, but the ball entered through the underside of the crossbar.
‘You’re going down, you’re going down’, the Arsenal fans chanted to their Chelsea colleagues, but it took a fine save from Aaron Ramsdale to stop a shot from Ben Chilwell. It was only a brief relief.
Just after half an hour, Arsenal scored a second goal that was a copy of the first. The ball was worked left to Xhaka, he boomed it over the box, Odegaard peeled away from Raheem Sterling and forced his shot past Kepa.
Two minutes later, Arsenal led by three. Chelsea’s defense was terrible. Ben White drove a cross to the back post, Gabriel Jesus chested it down, Chelsea couldn’t clear it and as he rebounded back to Jesus he rammed it past Kepa. Chelsea was chaotic.
Aubameyang scored nine times in the first half. None of them were good. It was therefore no surprise that he did not appear after the break, replaced by Kai Havertz.
Noni Madueke took a consolation goal for the Blues in the second half, but it is Frank Lampard’s side’s sixth consecutive defeat
Madueke’s goal was his first Premier League goal for the club on an otherwise terrible night for the West London side
Chelsea were under pressure from the start of the game when Kepa Arrizabalaga (left) had to refuse Granit Xhaka
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to shine against his former club and was substituted at half-time in an anonymous display
However, a dejected Frank Lampard has now endured six defeats since taking over as Chelsea interim manager
It didn’t seem to help.
Arsenal started the second half with a blizzard of chances. Thiago Silva juggled Gabriel’s header on the line before chopping it away, Kepa made a save from Xhaka, Jesus lifted a back-post volley from close range over the crossbar when he should have scored and Saka fired an inch wide of the edge of the goal line. area.
Given the circumstances, it was a surprise when Chelsea pulled one back midway through the half. Noni Madueke lost Oleksandr Zinchenko to run through to a fine ball from Mateo Kovacic, shook off Gabriel’s attention and sent the ball past Ramsdale. It was Madueke’s first league goal since moving from PSV Eindhoven in January for £29 million.
The rest of the match fell into a stalemate. Arsenal kept the opponents at bay without too much effort. They have resumed the title race with renewed hope. Chelsea has no hope left.