Arsenal showed their title credentials as they turned Chelsea inside out at the Emirates on Tuesday night beating then 5-0 to move three points clear at the top of the Premier League
The Gunners backed up their win at Wolverhampton Wanderers with an emphatic performance helped by a dreadful display from a Chelsea side who looked like they wanted the season to end now after their FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City.
Arsenal suffered last week with a home Premier League defeat by Aston Villa and a Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich but the manner of this win demonstrated the title momentum is now back with Mikel Arteta’s team.
Leandro Trossard settled any early nerves when he beat Chelsea keeper Djordje Petrovic at his near post and while the visitors occasionally threatened in the first half, Nicolas Jackson missing a clear headed chance, Arsenal simply ran riot after the break.
The second goal Arsenal craved came as Ben White turned in after Chelsea failed to clear a corner before former Stamford Bridge forward Kai Havertz struck twice in eight minutes, the second a quite sumptuous finish from Martin Odegaard’s magnificent pass.
As Chelsea subsided in embarrassing fashion, White looped his second over Petrovic. It pushed their goal difference up to +56 – 13 better than Liverpool’s and 12 ahead of Manchester City – on what was pretty much the perfect night for Arsenal.
Arteta’s side found hapless Chelsea compliant opponents but the swagger they displayed as they piled on the goals in the second half will have done wonders for self-confidence before Sunday’s crunch north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur.
They could have actually made this a more convincing scoreline such was their superiority, and the fact that Havertz was on the scoresheet twice against his former club, after a first-half performance that can be politely described as lacklustre, only added to the sweetness of victory.
The game at Spurs on Sunday will have huge ramifications for both teams and the Premier League title race but Arsenal’s spirits will be soaring after this result and performance.
Chelsea’s shambolic show
The banner held aloft by a young supporter watching Mauricio Pochettino’s side chuck in the towel said it all: “I don’t want your shirt. I want you to fight for ours.”
He will have left Emirates Stadium sorely disappointed after a gutless shambles of an effort from Chelsea, who could easily have suffered greater humiliation had Arsenal taken all their chances.
They actually had moments in the first half but the manner in which they effectively gave up once White made it 2-0 made for disturbing viewing for anyone of a Chelsea persuasion.
They were without talisman and leading goalscorer Cole Palmer, missing because of illness, but those on pitch made a mockery of Pochettino’s pre-match claim that it was time to show they were not a one-man team.
It was another miserable night for Jackson, culpable in the Wembley loss to Manchester City, as he looked stripped of confidence and missed good opportunities that came his way.
Pochettino could only look on with disgust as his side were torn apart by Arsenal. If this was the end result of the wild spending spree embarked upon in the Todd Boehly era, then it carried all the hallmarks of money very badly spent by Chelsea’s owners.
EPL: Arsenal Thump Chelsea 5-0 To Move Three Points Clear At The Top
