Ruthless Arsenal made a bold statement about their title credentials by thrashing Chelsea 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium, propelling themselves three points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Arsenal’s relentless intensity was evident from the outset, maintaining pressure for the first 30 minutes. Although they only held a 1-0 lead at halftime, they emerged even stronger in the second half, with Ben White and Kai Havertz each scoring twice in a dazzling display, leaving Chelsea in disarray.
This dominant performance by Arsenal, following their recovery from a recent home defeat and Champions League exit, intensifies the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City with four games remaining in the season. Arsenal currently stand at 77 points from 34 games, with Liverpool trailing at 74 points from 33 matches. Meanwhile, reigning champions Manchester City, with 73 points, have two games in hand, starting with a fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion.
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The focus now shifts to Liverpool’s clash with Everton, followed by City’s matches as they seek to keep pace with Arsenal in the title race.
For Chelsea, the heavy defeat marks a setback in their quest for a European spot, adding to the disappointment of a challenging season, including an FA Cup semi-final loss to City.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to TNT Sports:
“I’m happy with the win and the amount of chances and goals we scored. Also the clean sheet shows the consistency of this team.
“We had to be more disciplined in the second half to do the right things and we created many chances and we defended the box so much better.
“I congratulated the players for making our supporters happy in a big London derby and it was a joy to watch them play. It’s onto Spurs now.
“They know what we are playing for. They are so excited and they are at it. Even the players that haven’t played much have been outstanding and that holds the team together.
“My job is to keep challenging and be demanding of them but to also make them believe they can do it because that is a very important thing.”
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino in his press conference:
“It’s true we did not compete. I cannot blame the players, as a team we are showing this inconsistency. That is why we are where we are, because we are capable of having an amazing performance, and three days later to be at the other extreme.
“When we have bad days, we are so bad. When we are good, we are capable of everything. But it’s another thing that we need to be aware that we need to improve for the future.
“We cannot blame the players, I’m not going to blame the players. The circumstances are bigger than the performance of the players.
“We cannot blame young guys who came here and after suffering some circumstances, come here to fight against a team preparing to win the Premier League.
“We cannot be unfair with our players. It is true we are disappointed with our performance, but I am not going to say something which is unfair to describe our team, our players, our squad.”