Arsenal Player POV: “The roar of the Emirates crowd was deafening as we took the field. The tension was electric, a North London derby with so much at stake. We knew Chelsea wouldn’t go down easy, but the buzz in the locker room was unreal. We’d trained hard all week, Coach Mikel had us fired up, and the taste of victory was already sweet in our mouths. As the whistle blew, the focus kicked in. Every tackle, every run, every pass – it all mattered.”
North London erupted in celebration on April 23rd as Arsenal hammered local rivals Chelsea 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium. The emphatic victory puts the Gunners firmly in the driving seat for the Premier League title, while Chelsea’s struggles continue.
Match Highlights:
Arsenal took an early lead through Leandro Trossard in the 4th minute. The Gunners dominated possession and created several chances throughout the first half, but the score remained 1-0 going into the break. The second half saw Arsenal explode, with four unanswered goals. Ben White and former Chelsea man Kai Havertz found the net twice each to seal a convincing win.
YouTube: search for Arsenal vs Chelsea on April 23, 2024, highlights for a full look at the goals.
Statistics:
- Possession: Arsenal (44%) vs Chelsea (56%)
- Shots on Target: Arsenal (10) vs Chelsea (1)
- Fouls Conceded: Arsenal (12) vs Chelsea (11)
- Yellow Cards: Arsenal (2) vs Chelsea (2)
Player Ratings:
Arsenal:
- D. Raya (7): A quiet night for the keeper but made a couple of important saves in the second half.
- W. Saliba (8): Solid defensively and provided good attacking support down the right flank.
- B. White (8): Composed at the back and good at bringing the ball out of defence.
- Gabriel (8): Dominant in the air and kept Chelsea’s attack at bay.
- M. Odegaard (7.5): Always a threat going forward and linked up well with Saka.
- D. Rice (7.5): Controlled the midfield battle and kept things ticking over.
- T. Partey (8): Strong defensively and helped dictate the tempo of the game.
- L. Trossard (9): A constant menace down the left wing, capped off a great performance with a goal.
- K. Havertz (8.5): Pulled the strings in midfield and created several chances for his teammates.
Chelsea:
- D. Petrovic (5): Could have done better with some of Arsenal’s goals.
- A. Gilchrist (6): Chelsea’s best attacker, but his efforts were often thwarted by the Arsenal defence.
- A. Disasi (5.5): Struggled to deal with the pace and movement of the Arsenal attackers.
- B. Badiashile (5): Another disappointing performance from the young defender.
- M. Cucurella (5): Offered little going forward and was caught out defensively on a few occasions.
- E. Fernandez (5): Ineffective in midfield and failed to control the tempo of the game.
- M. Caicedo (5): Offered no improvement after coming on as a substitute in the second half.
- N. Madueke (5): Frustrating night for Mount, who couldn’t get into the game.
- C. Gallagher (4.5): Completely anonymous throughout the match.
- R. Sterling (5): Offered little after coming on as a substitute.
- N. Jackson (4.5): Ineffective upfront and saw very little of the ball.
Arsenal Manager POV: “That was a dominant performance from the boys. From the first whistle, they controlled the game, kept possession, and created chances. We knew Chelsea would be a tough opponent, but the way we shut them down and countered with such pace was fantastic. Trossard starting the scoring early settled our nerves, and the goals just kept flowing in the second half. Jesus coming on and making an impact was a real positive. Overall, a very satisfying win that puts us in a strong position. We need to keep focused, analyse our areas for improvement, and maintain this momentum for the crucial fixtures ahead.”
What’s Next?
Arsenal will look to continue their title charge when they travel to Tottenham for the North London Derby. Chelsea, on the other hand, will need to pick themselves up quickly as they Travel to Aston Villa.
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