Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over woeful Chelsea, led by two goals from Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal took a 3–0 half-time lead as captain Odegaard – twice – got acres of space from Chelsea’s feeble defense to score in the 18th and 31st minutes, and Gabriel Jesus converted from close range 11 minutes before the break.
Chelsea, who lost for the sixth time in six games under interim coach Frank Lampard, only managed to score their second goal in eight games when Noni Madueke pressed the ball past Aaron Ramsdale in the 65th minute.
Arsenal’s first win in five games took them to 78 points, two more than second-placed Manchester City, who will have a chance to regain top spot when they host West Ham United on Wednesday.
Mail Sport’s SAMI MOKBEL takes a look at some things you may have missed.
Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi is one of the targets for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta this summer
Arteta could fly to Guehi
Mikel Arteta has put a new centre-back at the top of his summer recruitment plans, with England international Marc Guehi one of the targets for Arsenal.
The absence of William Saliba due to a lower back injury has exposed the lack of depth at the heart of their defence.
Rob Holding was dropped for Tuesday night’s London derby, with Jakub Kiwior making his first top start since joining in January.
Nevertheless, Arteta will target a new centre-back who is deemed good enough to compete with Saliba and Gabriel next season.
Guehi is one of the names the club is eyeing towards the summer.
Crystal Palace are open to Guehi’s future, with a bid of more than £50 million likely to test the club’s determination to keep their main defender.
Aubameyang booed on his return
There were boos for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from parts of the Emirates support as he returned to the club he left so bitterly last season.
Then loud cheers when his substitution was confirmed at half-time.
While on the pitch, Aubameyang touched the ball nine times, four of them from kick-off.
Odegaard approaches Fabregas
Martin Odegaard made a stormy performance from midfield last night.
His match action card shows how influential he was across the field, moving to 14 league goals for the season following his two well-taken finishes.
The only Arsenal central midfielder to score more in a Premier League campaign is Cesc Fabregas.
Brighton wants Nelson for free
Brighton intend to make a formal offer to sign Reiss Nelson on a free transfer at the end of the season.
The Arsenal winger’s contract expires in June, although The Gunners have offered the striker a new deal to stay in north London.
A number of Premier League clubs are showing interest in Nelson, but Mail Sport understands that Brighton will make an offer to the Gunners Academy graduate in the summer, provided he does not sign a new contract with Arsenal before then.
Chelsea fans salute Abramovich
What must Chelsea fans yearn for Roman Abramovich’s era.
Despite spending £600 million on new players, the Blues are a shadow of the team that dominated domestically and in Europe during the reign of the Russian oligarch.
Chelsea fans chanted about Abramovich at half-time, which certainly won’t have been music to the ears of current co-controlling owner Todd Boehly.
Money can’t buy you love, it seems.
Arsenal fans protest
Sitting to the left of the goal at the Clock End, the Ashburton Army staged a mini-protest against extra card checks carried out by the club ahead of the match.
The group of fans, dressed in black, remained in the hall for the first 30 minutes before returning to their seats – just in time to see Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus score Arsenal’s second and third goals.
Lampard probably looks out of season
All early indications are that Frank Lampard will sit out the season at Chelsea before making way for Mauricio Pochettino to take the reins ahead of pre-season.
There’s logic in that.
Chelsea want to show Lampard the respect his legacy deserves, while Pochettino may feel he is hiding from nothing in taking charge of a team so lacking in confidence, as seen here, for the last five games.