Arsenal inflict Chelsea historic thrashing to regain top spot

Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League after compounding Chelsea's woes with an impressive 5-0 thrashing at the Emirates Stadium. 

The Gunners came out all guns blazing and showed no mercy against a Blues side that came out with a soft defence that was exposed in the first minute thanks to a long ball from White that Havertz failed to capitalise on. 

Minutes later it was Declan Rice who broke Chelsea's low block with a great run and fed Trossard inside the box, who beat Petrovic with a low near post effort through the Serbian keeper's legs. 

Arsenal's attacks continued in the same vein throughout the first half but they failed to convert any of them, while Pochettino's side threatened with counter-attacks that they could not capitalise on to restore parity before the break. 

The Gunners started the second half as they did the first, with a dangerous chance from a counter-attack that was launched by Declan Rice, who again won the ball back from a poor Chelsea build-up. However, the England midfielder's low shot was parried by Petrovic.

As the Emirates side proved in the opening minutes of the game, the first chance can be missed but not the second. Saka fed Rice on the edge of the box before the midfielder's effort was deflected by Partey, allowing White to capitalise on the rebound and send the ball into the back of the net.

Chelsea's woes were not over, as minutes later a great pass from Odegaard found Havertz in space before the German striker calmly slotted the ball past Petrovic to deliver the knockout blow to his former team. 

Not satisfied with that, Havertz wanted to let his former team know why they were wrong to let him go to their London rivals by adding a fourth after a great move by Saka down the left flank which he finished with a low effort to the near post that the Serbian goalkeeper could not save.

White put the icing on the cake by securing his brace after he capitalised on a defence-splitting pass from Odegaard with a snapshot to the long post that beat Petrovic.

 

April 23, 2024