In the Premier League, Arsenal swiftly claimed a 5-0 victory over Chelsea, making their intentions clear to the reigning champions, Manchester City: if they falter, Arsenal will most definitely capitalise. As Mikel Arteta’s squad claimed control of the game and continued to excel, their fierce drive and determination couldn’t be ignored. An attempt to evoke motivating passion from Chelsea’s players was fruitless, evidenced by the derision seen from a young Chelsea fan’s poster that said, “I want you to fight for ours.”
Despite their impressive half-time lead of 1-0, Arsenal’s relentlessness became more manifest in the second half, where Chelsea failed to keep up with the vigour, technique and ambition of Arsenal’s players. Kai Havertz shone brightly with two goals, although outshone by Arsenal’s captain, Martin Ødegaard. Goals by Leandro Trossard and Ben White from right-back reiterated Arsenal’s dominance that evening. The next match will be Liverpool’s away game against Everton, prior to Manchester City’s fixture at Brighton.
On further note, Mauricio Pochettino strongly opposed Pep Guardiola’s previous comment branding his Tottenham squad as “the Harry Kane team,” forcing his Chelsea squad to prove they weren’t the “Cole Palmer football club.” Palmer, named “the decisive player of the season” by Guardiola, was absent due to sickness. With their fervent home crowd on side, Arsenal, fuelled by an exemplary play sequence involving Bukayo Saka, Havertz, and Thomas Partey followed by a robust attack from Declan Rice, left Chelsea outpaced.
Alfie Gilchrist, stepping in to substitute the injured Malo Gusto, was tackled by Rice who then swiftly passed the ball to Trossard. Trossard got hold of it and outplayed Djordje Petrovic, the goalkeeper, to score at the near post with relative ease.
Just half a minute into the match, Pochettino saw White exploit vulnerabilities in his defensive line, offering Havertz a direct shot at goal. However, Havertz was slightly offside. Ten minutes into the game, Pochettino switched to a high-intensity strategy and started directing his chairpersons vehemently from his technical spot to handle the mounting pressure. Havertz, who was in an optimal position inside the goal area to make a scoring pass to Rice, made an unsuccessful attempt. Despite the easy pass situation, Havertz couldn’t deliver it as desired.
Nicolas Jackson was fortunate as he managed to escape consequence when he stepped on Takehiro Tomiyasu’s foot in the heat of the derby emotions. Arsenal delivered a commendable performance by bringing in swiftness and vigor in the first half-hour. Saka and Ødegaard stood out with their quick footwork and emerged as threats.
In the excitable spell leading up to the 30-minute mark, Arsenal made some dizzying moves in front of the Chelsea goal. The spectacle was stunning to watch, let alone for the Chelsea defence to tackle. But they made it through. Rice made a fantastic spin away from Enzo Fernández and launched a shot that went high, while Havertz pushed Petrovic to his limits. Another Havertz shot, deflected by Axel Disasi, went straight into Petrovic’s face at a close range – it was recorded as a significant save, though it wasn’t clear how much Petrovic had control over it.
Chelsea strived to gain leverage and managed to create a few significant moments in the first half, despite the prevailing tension. Disasi nearly connected with a corner flick-on by Benoît Badiashile, while Jackson made a swift move down the left and launched a cutback, nicking Gabriel Magalhães and brushing the outside of the post.
Jackson’s speed was challenging yet his final contributions remained unpredictable. A missed free header was the result when Conor Gallagher crossed at the 42-minute mark as Jackson mishandled the ball. Prior to that, Marc Cucurella’s attempt was obstructed by White, with Fernández misguiding the ball on the rebound. Arteta grappled with his emotions, which boiled over during first-half stoppage-time leading to a booking for objecting to Trossard’s foul on Cucurella.
A second goal was paramount for Arsenal, for even though they were leading, Chelsea still held a slim chance. Arteta had his team return early for the second half, and his key words were intensity and impact. Ødegaard promptly responded, singlehandedly inspiring a difference on the field.
Arsenal led the surge that completely overran Chelsea. Although they created and missed clear opportunities, they remained composed. Rice’s shot was too close for Petrovic; Havertz was stopped by the goalie after receiving a spectacular pass from Ødegaard. Arsenal smelled victory; they believed in it.
Following a short corner developed between Saka and Ødegaard, Rice’s attempt ricocheted off Gallagher and White calmly completed the sequence. Havertz entered the scene in style. Chelsea made valid arguments for a foul by Gabriel on Noni Madueke but no call was made. Instead, Ødegaard handed the ball to Havertz, who easily brushed past Cucurella and scored brilliantly.
The match was a painful spectacle for Pochettino and everyone associated with Chelsea. Havertz nonchalantly netted the fourth goal soon after Jackson squandered a clear opportunity. Was White’s move for the fifth goal a deliberate chip into the far corner or an attempted cross? No one from the Arsenal side cared – Guardian.