After defeating their bitter rivals Chelsea 3-1 in the North London derby on Wednesday, Arsenal rose back to the top of the Premier League.
In the opening period, Martin Odegaard netted two goals. In the 18th and 31st minutes of the game, he scored his first and second goals, bringing his season total in the Premier League to 14. The Norwegian was also given the Man of the Match trophy for his efforts. Arsenal’s superiority was reaffirmed by Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus’ finish inside the six-yard area. Arsenal seized control of the game by leading 3-0 at the interval.
Mikel Arteta’s side completely dominated the game. They had a total of 16 shots, of which 10 were on target. Their possession rate was 54.8% throughout the game. whereas Chelsea had a total of 7 shots, out of which only 4 were on target. The Gunners had a total of 543 passes and 7 corners; on the other hand, Chelsea had 455 passes and just 2 corners to their name. Arsenal’s next three matches are against Newcastle on 7 May, Brighton Hove Albion on 14 May, and the last game against Nottingham Forest on 20 May.
Frank Lampard’s side looked lethargic whenever they were out of possession. This was Lampard’s sixth game without registering a win. Chelsea’s performance improved in the second half. Noni Madueke, an academy graduate, opened the scoring for his side in the 65th minute of the match. But this was not enough, as the ship had already sailed and there was no time left for a comeback. To make the situation worse, Chelsea’s players, Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher, both received yellow cards.
Currently, Chelsea is in 12th place in the league table. Chelsea’s next five matches are against Bournemouth on 6 May, Nottingham Forest on 13 May, Manchester City on 21 May, Manchester United on 26 May, and the last match against Newcastle on 28 May.