Ødegaard’s Arsenal gave Liverpool a helping hand – VG

– The first round was ok. It was enough to lead 3-0, but we were below 1-0 because we forgot to score and practically scored an own goal. I do not know how Arsenal would have scored if we had not given it to them, says Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel in an interview shown on TV 2.

– I do not need this kind of thing to wake up and to know how difficult it is. I have a feeling we need to wake up again. I do not understand why, but if it is so, ok, now everyone is awake again, says Tuchel, who meets Leicester in the FA Cup final on Saturday, and who can also qualify for the Champions League by winning the Champions League final against Manchester City May 29.

With two rounds left of the Premier League, Chelsea are left with 64 points. Liverpool is seven points behind, but has two games less played and can thus play all the way up in the back before Chelsea (in fourth place) meets Leicester (in third place) in the penultimate round of the series.

Liverpool will face Manchester United away on Thursday, in the match that was postponed a week and a half ago after protests from Manchester United fans against the club owners. Due to the tight match program after the postponement, Ole Gunnar Solskjær chose to pose with one reserve team in Tuesday’s match against Leicester, which Leicester won 2–1. Liverpool’s chance for a Champions League place then seemed to hang in the balance, but now Jürgen Klopp’s men have once again had a good opportunity to secure the important fourth place.

With a victory in all four of their remaining matches, Liverpool can reach 69 points. Chelsea, on the other hand, can reach 70 points, but then in that case Leicester will reach a maximum of 69 points. Then the goal difference can be absolutely decisive in the battle for a Champions League place.

Chelsea controlled most of it and played to most chances. Mason Mount recovered several shots, Kai Havertz missed alone with the goalkeeper and Bernd Leno saved everything that came from Chelsea.

Arsenal defended well and also took good care of the opportunity a quarter of an hour into the first half. Jorginho played the ball back against Kepa, but the goalkeeper had taken a few steps to the side and thus had to throw himself as long as he was to avoid an embarrassing own goal at all. The return bounced back to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who easily served to Emile Smith Rowe. The Englishman put the ball in goal from six meters, via the post, and made sure that Arsenal won the match between the two London teams.

Christian Pulisic got the ball in goal for Chelsea, but the goal was correctly canceled out for offside. 90 minutes had elapsed when a great chance for Chelsea to take the lead after a good cross from the right found Olivier Giroud alone with the keeper, but he chipped it to the wrong side of the post.

PS! Martin Ødegaard played the whole match for Arsenal.

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