Chelsea and Arsenal went toe-to-toe today in the London derby, with Arsenal getting the better of Chelsea in almost every aspect. The Gunners won the match by one goal to nil following a goal from Gabriel Magalhaes in the second half. The goal came after Thiago Silva tried to progress the ball from the defense and got dispossessed by Jesus, who took a shot that Mendy parried away and led to a corner kick. Saka took a brilliant corner, perfectly delivered into the penalty area, allowing the Brazilian defender to convert and give the Gunners the lead. The entire Chelsea defense seemed to have switched off in that moment, and they weren’t let off this time. Chelsea looked harmless in the game and only finished with one shot on target. Mikel Arteta remains unbeaten in all of Arsenal’s premier league visits at Stamford Bridge since he was appointed head coach.
Chelsea will look back at the miscued opportunity in which Havertz could have squared the ball back to Aubameyang but failed to do so. Other than that, the entire Chelsea team was out of sorts and would be glad that the result wasn’t worse than it was. The Chelsea midfield was outrightly outclassed, outmuscled, and outmaneuvered. Arsenal recorded their highest turnovers (16) in the opposition’s half this season in that game.
Arsenal go back top of the table
Arsenal are still on top of the table after 13 games, two points ahead of City. City won their game on Saturday against Fulham in the last minute. They had to put up a hard fight after Cancelo was sent off following a foul tackle on Harry Wilson inside his own penalty area. After the win against Chelsea, Arsenal have now played four of the top six clubs and only lost to Manchester United. With City holding an almost similar impeccable record, they remain the biggest impediment to the Gunners in this race that is shaping up.
After a brilliant run of games, Arsenal can be considered a serious team and a threat to Manchester City in the title race. They have discovered their style of play, which is full of swagger and finesse. There is a strong sense of togetherness in the squad and the fanbase at large. In his post-match conference, Mikel said, “the fans have transformed this squad.” That sort of connection is part of what is propelling Arsenal to the next level.
A two-horse race?
There is a gap between the second and third teams in the PL table. Newcastle are third, 5 points behind Manchester City, having played a game more. Chelsea and Manchester United are yet to find their strong foot this season. They will have to dig deep if they are to qualify for the top four. Having won their match, Liverpool have revived their top-four hopes and can’t yet be ruled out. It is the two top teams that are displaying stability and consistency. With Arsenal gradually silencing their doubters, it is safe to assume they have boarded the title bus. Similarly, City have proved in previous years that they can live up to the pace of a title competition. The question now lies in whether these two horses will be the only ones to see it through to the end.
Aubameyang’s rivalry with his former team
“Arsenal is doing great this season, and I wish my old guys well, just not on November 6th“, Auba tweeted days before the game. Auba also did a match promotional video with Sky sport in the week leading to the derby, making it known that he is a blue, and the same goes for London. “Arsenal, it’s nothing personal” was the highlight of the video. After the game, Magalhaes threw shades at Auba, tweeting, “nothing personal London is red.” The former Arsenal captain exited the club rather sourly, and his recent comments haven’t boded well with his former teammates.