ARSENAL asserted themselves BACK into the race for the top four in the Premier League with a resounding 4-2 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners went 1-0 up through Eddie Nketiah before Timo Werner equalised for Chelsea. Emile Smith Rowe put them in front again but Cesar Azpilicueta pulled the Blues level for a second time.
But Nketiah secured his brace in the second half and Bukayo Saka added a late penalty to produce a vital win for Mikel Arteta’s side in West London.
- RESULT: Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal
- Chelsea XI: Mendy, James, Christensen, Sarr, Azpilicueta, Loftus-Cheek, Kante, Alonso, Mount, Werner, Lukaku
- Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Gabriel, Holding, Tavares, Xhaka, Elneny, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Nketiah
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That’s all from Stamford Bridge
And so ends another frenetic, eventful, and surprising evening of Premier League football.
Arsenal are the big winners after a torrid two weeks in which they lost two key players to injury and three successive matches.
Yet tonight’s 4-2 success at Chelsea has launched the Gunners back into the battle for top four, and sets up what will surely be a thrilling end to the season.
There are bound to be more twists and turns, and you won’t miss any of them with us here at SunSport.
Goodnight.
Extra! Read all about it!
Before we sign off from Stamford Bridge for the night, why not recap on all that we’ve witnessed with Dave Kidd’s match report of Arsenal’s stunning 4-2 win at Chelsea.
Not since the Invincibles were in their pomp have Arsenal had the opportunity to have a good old laugh at Chelsea. But here, on the back of three straight defeats and with a centre-forward who hadn’t scored a Premier League goal in a year, was a night for the Gooners to savour.
Life’s a pitch for Thomas
An extremely disappointed Thomas Tuchel has slammed his club’s own pitch after Chelsea slipped to another crushing home defeat.
The Blues boss was not in the mood for Sky Sports’ post-match questioning, and then directed his ire at the Stamford Bridge turf when talking to the rest of the press.
Tuchel blames the condition of the pitch for goals that his side has recently conceded in defeats to Arsenal and Real Madrid.
The pitch is difficult to play on here. It sounds like an excuse, but it is a very difficult pitch that we have here. It is not to our favour. The ball bounced very, very awkwardly in front of Andreas [Christensen] when he wants to play it. We had the same mistake against Real Madrid, and it cost us the Champions League. This one cost us the next game.
Thomas Tuchel
North London pair level again
Following Arsenal’s surprise victory at Stamford Bridge, the Gunners are once again level with rivals Tottenham in the battle for fourth spot.
However, Spurs still hold the advantage with their superior goal difference, and will host Mikel Arteta’s team on May 12.
Elsewhere, Man City returned to the top of the Premier League after beating Brighton while a late Richarlison equaliser could prove vital in Everton’s fight against the drop.
- Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal
- Everton 1-1 Leicester
- Newcastle 1-0 Crystal Palace
- Man City 3-0 Brighton
No defence for beaten Blues
“Just like the old days, there’s nobody here,” the Arsenal fans mercilessly mocked their Chelsea counterparts throughout tonight’s encounter.
And just like the old days, Chelsea’s defence has left a lot to be desired as they shipped four goals in successive home league games for the first time since the 1989-90 season.
It’s now three defeats in a row at Stamford Bridge in all competitions for the Blues, who have shipped a total of 11 goals to Brentford, Real Madrid and Arsenal.
Match stats from Stamford Bridge
Chelsea didn’t manage a single shot on target in the second half.
They probably should have tried one seeing as the game’s other six all went in.
Angry Azpilicueta confronts Chelsea fans
Still smarting from his ridiculous decision to foul Bukayo Saka late on, Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta appeared to approach some of his side’s own fans at the final whistle, unleashing a furious tirade in their direction.
Full time – Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal
What a result for Mikel Arteta’s young Gunners!
Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal – Arsenal substitution
90+5. A final change for the Gunners, and the last of their scorers, Bukayo Saka, takes a deserved bow.
Here comes Alexandre Lacazette, who will be lucky to get a touch.
Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal
90+4. The Arsenal fans inside Stamford Bridge are loving life right now. There’s a party going on in that corner of the ground.
The Chelsea fans inside Stamford Bridge? Well, I’m not sure there are many left
Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal
90+2. After the fortnight from hell, Arsenal are in dreamland!
Having won the penalty, Bukayo Saka is adamant that he’s going to be the man to take it – and he doesn’t disappoint.
It’s his first spotkick since the Euro 2020 final, and the youngster shows no sign of nerves as he sends Edouard Mendy the wrong way to score.
He heads straight for the jubilant away fans, and launches himself into the crowd that love him. The feeling is clearly mutual too.
The Gunners are very much in the mix for the top four!
Goal! Bukayo Saka makes no mistake!
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
90. A moment of madness from Cesar Azpilicueta!
A hopeful cross is sent into a sparsely populated penalty area, but the Chelsea captain isn’t even looking at the ball.
Instead, he has his arms all over Bukayo Saka, eventually – and inexplicably – wrestling the forward to the ground.
It’s right in front of referee Jon Moss too, who has no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
The decision sparks a melee among the two sets of players with Azpilicueta furious with Saka, but it can only be a deflection from his own boneheaded behaviour.
The Spaniard gets a yellow card for his part, as does Arsenal’s Gabriel for his involvement in the aftermath.
Arsenal will now have the chance to seal victory.
Azpilicueta bundles over Saka! Penalty!
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
89. Martinelli has looked really lively since coming on without actually doing anything of note.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
88. Arms folder, leant back in the dugout, Thomas Tuchel does not look best pleased.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
86. Nuno Tavares lets fly from 40 yards, and finds the Arsenal fans in the top tier of the Shed.
That kind of thing is only acceptable in the final few minutes of a derby when you’re holding on to a narrow lead.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal – Mount yellow card
84. Ooof! Mason Mount is a lucky boy.
The midfielder was given the benefit of the doubt in the first half for a high challenge on Nuno Tavares, and this one on Cedric is even uglier.
The England man goes over the ball and brings his studs down on the Arsenal substitute’s ankle, leaving him writhing in pain on the turf.
Jon Moss produces a yellow card.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
83. The Arsenal fans in that corner of Stamford Bridge keep the ball until a new one is sent for, and then – of course – throw it back into the field of play.
File it under things we love to see, but commentators tell us that we don’t.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
82. And it should have been nothing!
Cedric bursts into the box with Martinelli unmarked in the middle, but overlooks the Brazilian to pull back for Nuno Tavares arriving on the edge of the area.
The Portuguese defender takes a decent first touch to steady himself, and then slices horribly wide of the near post.
What a chance for Arsenal to seal victory.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal – Chelsea substitution
81. Now the Blues get to make their change.
On comes Ziyech, and off goes left wing-back Marcos Alonso.
It’s all or nothing for Thomas Tuchel now.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
80. Half a chance for the Gunners to seal victory on the break, but Martinelli’s cross into the middle is just behind the sprinting Saka.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
79. On the touchline, Hakim Ziyech has been waiting patiently for his chance to enter the fray for what seems like an age – but the ball won’t go out of play!
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
78. Werner sweeps a quick pass into the area, but Chelsea’s most advanced player – N’Golo Kante – is unable to take it under his control.
Why pay £97m for a striker when you can go with Kante up top?
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
77. Need an idea of how the shape of the game is now looking? Well, Chelsea have had 80% of the possession over the last five minutes.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
