Arsenal moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 5-0 thrashing of London rivals Chelsea on Tuesday night.
Premier League
Result: Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea
Date: 23 April 2024
Venue: Emirates Stadium
The visitors were without top scorer Cole Palmer due to injury as Mykhailo Mudryk earned a recall, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recalled Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
The Gunners got off to the perfect start when Declan Rice surged forward before playing in Leandro Trossard, who made it two goals from two games with a low strike.
Chelsea looked dangerous on the break and they were nearly back on level terms when Gabriel deflected Nicolas Jackson's low cross on the upright with goalkeeper David Raya well beaten.
The game was played at a lively tempo throughout the first half, but neither side were able to get a goal in the latter stages of the stanza due to some poor decision-making in the final third.
That changed in the second half when the Gunners doubled their lead six minutes in when a scramble in the box ended with defendeder Ben White slotting home six yards out.
Arteta's charges went on to bag a third goal in the 57th minute when Martin Odegaard picked out Kai Havertz with a superb pass and the German calmly fired over the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Havertz was not done there against his former as he completed his brace after 65 minutes with a neat finish in off the post after being teed up by Bukayo Saka on the edge of the box.
The Gunners did go on to get their fifth goal in the 70th minute as White also completed his brace with a fortuitous effort that sailed over Ðorde Petrovic and into the back of the net.
The home side out the latter stages of the second half with relative ease, as they moved three points clear of second-place Liverpool and four ahead of Manchester City who have played two games less.
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