Just not strength. Arsenal humiliated Chelsea last night (Tuesday) with a huge 0:5 at the Emirates Stadium, one that sent a message to their rivals at the top: the Gunners are going to the end of the season.
Mikel Arteta” Our confidence. We played very well against a good team.”
“Arsenal is no longer suffocating and humiliating Chelsea, who looked like half a team without Cole Palmer,” it was written in “Daily Mail” The Englishman. “The idea that Arsenal will lose their first in the crucial stages of the season, is dead. The idea that the championship will be handed to Manchester City on a platter is over,” it added. “Arsenal is not giving up. It is a group that knows how to rise again. They faced a severe handicap in the home loss to Aston Villa and elimination from the Champions League, and now they played like a champion team. She sees the finish line and started sprinting towards it.”
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright continued: “Arsenal exploded in the second half. They created a number of very good chances and responded superbly between halves, which helped their goal difference. There was a party atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium.”
Despite the show, it should be noted, Arsenal still have a game missing against City. Opta’s algorithm gives the Gunners 29.9% for the championship compared to 55.3% for Pep’s reigning champion, with Arsenal favorite to finish in second place for the second year in a row with 41.2%.
Chelsea suffered a historic humiliation (GETTY) and now, for some numbers from the Gunners’ tremendous display. Mikel Arteta’s team conceded no less than 15 balls in the last third of Chelsea’s pitch – more than in any other game under the Spanish coach.
Beyond that, Arsenal kicked 27 times towards Chelsea’s goal, 13 in the first half and 14 in the second. Since the 2003/04 season, there have not been two halves in which the Blues have conceded more shots on goal.
For Arsenal, the 5:0 over Chelsea was their biggest win over their London rival in all competitions, while for the Blues it is the second highest ever loss in a London derby since the 6:0 to KPR in March 1986.
The one who took the loss hard is of course Chelsea’s coach, Mauricio Pochettino: “If we want to be in a different place next season, we have to start making decisions here.”
