Arsenal bounced again from their deflating loss to Manchester Metropolis by easing to a 3-1 victory over struggling Chelsea on the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday to maintain their Premier League title hopes alive.
Martin Odegaard scored twice in 13 first-half minutes earlier than Gabriel Jesus added a 3rd earlier than half-time in opposition to a Chelsea aspect that had been all too accommodating to their London rivals. Chelsea supplied extra resistance after the break and prevented a extra one-sided scoreline with Noni Madueke‘s comfort aim halfway by way of the second half.
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However an important three factors was by no means unsure for Arsenal, six days on from their 4-1 drubbing by the hands of Metropolis that positioned the title initiative firmly within the grasp of Pep Guardiola’s champions.
Arsenal have now moved again above Metropolis by two factors on the high of the Premier League, nonetheless Mikel Arteta’s aspect have performed two video games extra.
In the meantime, Chelsea’s depressing season goes on with this their sixth defeat in six video games since Frank Lampard was put in non permanent cost. Their followers had been compelled to endure taunts from Arsenal supporters that they’d be heading for relegation. Regardless of their continued struggles, that continues to be a distant risk, with Chelsea in twelfth, 9 factors away from the relegation zone.
Determined to interject some life into Chelsea, Lampard named former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang within the beginning lineup for the primary time in six months however he lasted solely 45 minutes earlier than being changed.
From the primary whistle, it was clear that Lampard’s adjustments wouldn’t have the specified impact.
It took 18 minutes for Arsenal to go in entrance. Granit Xhaka despatched a low ball throughout the face of the penalty space the place an unmarked Odegaard was ready to drill a first-time rising shot in off the underside of the crossbar.
Chelsea quickly fell sufferer to an nearly an identical aim. Once more Xhaka equipped the cross from the left and Odegaard, this time assembly the ball on the penalty spot, completed agency and low previous the beleaguered Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Three minutes later, some extra lax Chelsea defending allowed Arsenal to make it 3-0. After lacking a number of possibilities to clear the ball from a cross to the again put up, Jesus slammed the ball in from shut vary.
Arsenal got here near including to their benefit on a number of events in the beginning of the second half, together with forcing Thiago Silva to clear off his personal aim line.
However in opposition to the run of play, it was the guests that discovered the online within the sixty fifth minute. With simply the second aim of Lampard’s tenure, January signing Madueke grabbed his first aim in a Chelsea shirt as he took a fantastic raking cross from Mateo Kovacic into his stride within the field and received sufficient on his shot to beat Aaron Ramsdale.
The aim a minimum of prompted extra depth from Chelsea, however they might not come near threatening Arsenal’s three factors.