Result: Chelsea – Arsenal
Competition: Premier League
Date: 20 April 2022
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Gabriel, Holding, Tavares, Xhaka, Elneny, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Nketiah
Subs: Leno, Cedric, Swanson, Azeez, Lokonga, Hutchinson, Pepe, Martinelli, Lacazette
Arsenal made a huge statement of intent in the battle to finish in the top four with a stunning 4-2 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
A roller-coaster first half saw the Gunners twice take the lead through strikes from Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe only for the home side to peg us back almost immediately on each occasion; Timo Werner’s deflected strike and Cesar Azpilicueta ensuring matters were level at the break.
Mikel Arteta’s side, in desperate need of a win after three consecutive defeats, then stepped on the gas after the break with Nketiah scoring his second before Bukayo Saka sealed the points at the death from the spot after he’d been fouled by Azipilicueta.
Pre-game
Cedric Soares, Sambi Lokonga and Gabriel Martinelli all dropped to the bench as Mikel Arteta made three changes from the side that started the defeat to Southampton. Speaking pre-game, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel assumed we’d line up with a three-man backline and wing-backs. The German was correct, initially. Holding started in the middle, flanked by White and Gabriel with Tavares and Saka working the flanks but we soon switched to a regulation back four. In midfield, Mo Elneny, making his first league start since December, slotted in next to Granit Xhaka with Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe charged with getting the ball to Eddie Nketiah. Alex Lacazette, free of Covid-19, returned to the bench.
First Half
Comically bad defending. Brilliant finishing. Suicidal passing. Incisive attacking. Angry coaches. Great movement. With goals flowing and the fans taunting each other relentlessly, the opening 45 minutes was the Premier League at its erratic best.
Chelsea were quick out of the traps and unlucky not to score in the opening five minutes as Xhaka blocked an Alonso effort and Gabriel bailed out Ramsdale who flapped at a corner. Arsenal, initially starting with a three-man defence, looked nervy and on the ropes but still eager to play football out of the tightest of spots.
Out of nothing, we grabbed the league thanks to the persistence of Eddie Nketiah. The striker, pressing from the front, chased down Andreas Christensen, pressuring the Dane to attempt a back pass that never had enough on it. Suddenly, Eddie was in on goal with just Mendy to beat. Could he keep his head? Absolutely. With a tidy finish he lifted the ball over the keeper for his first Premier League goal in 12 months. (1-0)
Given how frenetic the early stages played out, you never sense this was a game that was going to be settled by a solitary goal and sure enough, within four minutes, the Blues had an equaliser.
If our goal was lucky, Chelsea’s opener was even more so. Loftus-Cheek stole the ball as we looked to play out fro the back, he laid it off to Werner whose effort from the edge of the box took an almighty deflection of Xhaka to wrongfoot Ramsdale. (1-1)
Mount fired over as the Blues tried to stick the knife in but we weathered the storm and came close ourselves through Nketiah after good work by Saka.
Some of the passing around the edge of our penalty area was suicidal, but when we carried the ball on the counter we looked dangerous. On 27 minutes, Xhaka wriggled out of space, fed Odegaard who in turn found Saka. The England international returned the ball to the Norwegian who laid off to Smith Rowe to pass home first time from 18-yards out. It was a stunning goal. (2-1)
Again, we could only hold onto the lead for four minutes. Alonso and Mount pressed us in the right-back position, the England man whipped in a cross and Azpiliceuta nipped between Gabriel and Tavares to divert the ball past Ramsdale. (2-2)
The end-to-end action continued with Nketiah nearly putting us back in front with an effort from range and Tavares driving low across the six-yard box. There was still time for Saka and Smith Rowe to both curl wide before referee Jon Moss blew the whistle.
Second half
Would it be more of the same after the break? You bet. Werner sent a shot into the side netting inside 30 seconds to get things going before we worked our way back up the pitch. Our pressing continued to pose the home side issues and we again forced an error that led to us again restoring our lead.
Tavares did well pouncing on a loose ball on the left, pinged a pass to Nketiah who tried to spin in the box, lost the ball under a challenge from substitute Thiago Silva, won it again and somehow still found space to toe-poke past Mendy. Alex Lacazette, warming up on the touchline, was the first on the scene to congratulate the youngster as the travelling fans went absolutely ballistic. (3-2)
Given the pattern of the match, sitting deep and trying to soak up the pressure didn’t feel like a sound option but with a couple of substitutions, Martinelli for Nketiah, who’d run himself into the ground, and Cedric for Smith Rowe, you sensed we might try it and hope for another goal on the counter.
After a combination of Ramsdale, Gabriel and White prevented the Blues from another quick reply, we three times we had chances to do exactly only to be let down by a lack of composure at the vital moment. Mendy pounced on a ball destined for Martinelli, Saka lost his feet and Cedric, charging towards goal, made the wrong decision to pick out Tavares who shot wildly wide wide when Martinelli was free inside the six-yard box.
Finally, our pressure told. With a minute remaining, Martinelli freed Cedric down the right and the Portuguse swung a cross towards Saka who was hauled to the floor by Azipilicueta. Jon Moss had no choice but to point to the spot and despite an almighty melee, where the home players moaned and Gabriel earned a booking, his initial decision was never in doubt. Saka stepped up to bury the penalty and to take the points back to North London. (4-2)
The win means we’re level on points heading into this weekend’s match with Manchester United. Sp*rs have a better goal difference, but they also have a tricky match under the lights at Brentford on Saturday evening. Six games left. Everything to play for.
Is there a better model professional than Elneny? My word.
Give him a new contract! He stepped up big time when we needed him.
Seems to always have done so. For very little recognition from us fans.
I admit that I had a low expectation on the result of this game given the recent history at stamford bridge and our recent form. But this result just showed something extraordinary can happen in footbal. I can only say COYG!!!
Have you forgotten we did the double over them last season?
Recent history at Stamford Bridge?
We won there last season, and drew 2 – 2 the season before… with 10 men.
Called it
His experience mattered, but I’d still sell and improve with better quality.
Can all the Arteta Out plastic grubby opportunists fuck off until the end of the season now please? COYG !!! x
Sell and improve your fourth option midfielder? This isn’t FIFA mate.
And the win against Chelsea only increases the tiny possibility of us finishing 4th. Until we do (or don’t) please keep your Arteta in/out nonsense to yourself.
The sheer cheek to basically post “Elneny Out, Arteta4Life” and then call everybody else names… chapeau.
The criticisms of Arteta are deserved. Oh wait, I didn’t know the previous 3 games were part of the process.
You know what you’re gonna get with Elneny. Reliability.
Good passing, always keeping the ball moving, making himself available for his teammates and putting in work.
Elneny did well.
Credit to Xhaka as well.
Holding as well.
Tavares has arrived! Well played my boy !
His response tells you everything. He still might not work out, but the kid won’t go quietly. Good for him and even better for the team!
i thought he was below average really, his passing was all over the place
He looked nervous, but quietly did alright. He just needs a few games to get back to where he was in early season.
You see his defending for their second goal.
Wow. I know we won and some people love to say everything is great when we do……but……just wow. I thought he had an absolute nightmare first half. Fair play to him, he did better in the 2nd but he still struggled & you could see how confident James was taking him on 1v1.
Need to get him on loan next season & see if he can develop.
He’s better as a winger going forward
…except when he has a glorious opportunity to score and bury the game and shanks it a mile wide, right? If you’re gonna be a wing back who can’t/won’t defend, you have to a lot better than that when you get chances going forward.
WHAT A GAME!!! COYG!!!
Dunno if this has been mentioned a thousand times already.
But Chelsea’s starting front three cost £180m. Ours cost £0.
Say what you want about our side. We’ve got the best academy in Britain.
All hail the Hale End!
Who needs Haaland when you have Hale End!
Brilliant.
Typical of Arsenal to win this game
Its like they cant perform just under normal pressure. It has to be unbelievable pressure the world has to be ending and crashing down around them.
They do say pressure makes diamonds
How many times down the years have they stepped up when nobody including us expected it
Great balls by Saka to take the pen
He had to get it off his back. I’m surprised he hadn’t been offered penalties earlier.
Couldn’t let ESR stay ahead in the goalscoring chart!
“Arteta is out of his depth”
COYG
Out of the blue against the blues these guys make you eat humble pie
Out of the blue? 2 wins and a draw (out of 3) at the Bridge for Arteta. Good place for him and us now ..
Arsenal eh?
It’s the hope that gets you
Just when I thought I had given up, they pull me back in (in an Italian gangster voice)
The Godfather
When you tell your 6 year old before the match not to cry when we inevitably lose… then the boys go do that…. The Whacky world of supporting Arsenal.
COYG
Wth is LANS?!
Like a New Signing
I said Eddie for the hat trick before the game as almost a joke, wow he almost did it.
Elneny was simply fantastic! Well played lad.
What a time for Nketiah to have his best ever game for us! Hale End smashed it tonight!
Nketiah knows where the goal is. Its his work rate off the ball that has always been questionable. Boy did he show up to night, he was a hound hounding Chelsea defenders making his own luck and got his goals. Excellent performance, if he keeps that up till the end of the season and still decides to go, then it would have been a worthy farewell. And top 4 will be ours. COYG!
A real urgency and aggression from Arsenal tonight and it was exciting to watch. Top performance from Mo Elneny was the right call and let’s hope they can keep the same mindset for the next game.
That’s the important bit. Smash United next game and I would be over the moon!
Eddie, please forgive me! I take back everything I said!! That warm fuzzy feeling is back… Man Utd are imploding…bring on the CL!
Everyone will be talking about eddie, but that Elneny dude was LANS
Nearby first half but an excellent second half. They fought for those three points.
Nervy*
Nahhh, it’s “nearby” for me.
This victory is dedicated to the Arsenal Youth System. Bossing Chelsea at the Bridge
Never a pen by Azpilicueta but I don’t mind. However, if Saka does that against Dest in Qatar this winter I will be very upset! (ENG v USA)
Not sure which match you were watching. Remember that Bellerin and Hazard grazing toes ended up as a penalty against us, which was considerably less contact!
That wasn’t a pen either. Hated that call! Terrible officiating (pre VAR).
So someone thinks Bellerin fouled Hazzard? Why the thumbs down? Haters, man…
Because you are still insisting it wasn’t a penalty. Do you really think if Xhaka did that the ref would wave the penalty claim away?
never mind sarr should have been sent off for a second yellow on gabi and mount should have been yellowed twice for having his studs up on a straight red on cedric
ITWGX
Better go to spec savers
If the referee says it´s a penalty it´s a penalty. That´s the way it works.
Saka was trying to run back to collect the ball and Azpilicueta was holding him there. Not a penalty?
Utter rubbish. Pen all day.
Azpilicueta had him bear hugged like Andre the Giant.
Who the hell is Dest?
21 years old, with 41 appearances for Barcelona last season, and 29 so far this season.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergiño_Dest
Sarr should have been sent off for a second yellow. Saka was holding his arm a bit but still a penalty. Come on, think how many calls have not gone our way this year!!!
If a referee had given a penalty to Chelsea after Werner grabbed Cedric’s wrist and dragged him down as he ran across him and fell to his knees in front of Ramsdale’s goal you all would be apoplectic with the injustice of it all. Saka was “clever.”
I agree it wasnt a penalty but this call didn’t define the match.
Mounts free pass was THE wrong call of the game
You all are being harsh. That wasn’t a penalty, all neutrals say so. Point is, who cares. Good for Saka. Arsenal have been repeatedly f*cked by the refs all season, they deserved that penalty. Especially Saka deserved it for how often he is fouled. It put the game away and ended a nervy final five minutes.
Shearer thought it was a pen on MOTD
Exactly that, so many people here with their red tinted glasses on. I’m happy the penalty was given but I’d feel aggreived if it were given against us. Saka was clever by trapping Azpilicueta’s arm between his arm and shoulder and falling over
It was quite checky pen tbf. But how many times did we get robbed before!
Not a pen? There’s no need for Azpi to be all over Saka, he’s nowhere near the ball and Bucky gets hauled down before he can meet the cross. If Saka milked it a bit, so what, the pitch had already robbed us of a couple of very clear chances.
The fact it was their captain made it all the more sweeter.
Great game from the lads, let’s keep it going.
Awesome Mo Awesome Super Robbie Holding & yes indeed Super Eddie too !!! Happy to be wrong tonight & loved the energy but why not the last three ??? Great effort boys !!
The man I am happiest for tonight is Eddie Nketiah. I know he is capable of greater things if he just gets regular minutes. What a time to get your first EPL brace?
I don’t know which brace by Nketiah was better. The one against Norwich or the one tonight🤩
Take that, you blue scum!!!
Up their Putin enabling oligarch twats!
I don’t think this was necessary…
That same “Oligarch” helped more people during the COVID nightmare than most government did.
The same oligarch who has opened more doors than anyone for a dictator who is currently shelling civilians and has displaced millions of Ukranians from their homes. And Chelski fans love him so much they’ve held protests when the UK government finally clipped his wings. In other words, they are more concerned with their club continuing to buy more trophies than they are the slaughter of Ukrainian civilians. Fuck them and their genocide enabling oligarch owner with his blood money and fuck their club. Long may it decline!
Well said
you may wanna go back to your blue fan site
Take that you Tottenham scum, more like. 😊
Three days after Easter, Arsenal’s top 4 hopes rises from the dead!
I am speechless.
All we need now is to beat United on Saturday and put them out of play.
COYG!
That was one of the most delightfully bonkers matches I’ve seen for quite a while! So nice to come out on the right end of a weird one like that for a change.
Arsenal you Beauty!! We don’t like the easy way! Our swag is something else!
A win we truly needed. COYG!
Arteta knows… i guess
What a fucking win!
Football is a ridiculous game.
I just love this young Arsenal team with genuine talent and spirit that Arteta is building ( whether they qualify for the Champions League or not). Anybody who cannot see the progression and the average age is a fool. Patience is crucial by all. I get so fed up with the so called “ fans” not supporters many of whom do not watch matches live. Take Eddie. I saw him as a youth player and witnessed an outstanding talent alongside Emile Smith-Rose. He needed a run of games and a break. Many were knocking him. I’m so pleased for him.… Read more »
I’m happy to eat humble pie about Eddie. I had finally given up on him last week having really believed there was a good player in him. Glad to have that feeling back. If he plays like that more often we’ll miss him if he doesn’t sign a contract.
I general I agree that this team deserves patience.
However let’s don’t get over pboard with Eddie.
His maximum ceiling is a Defoe career.
Come on mate, he’s no Messi, but give the lad credit where it’s due.
He’s shown more pace than Laca and that’ll do me in the coming games.
Defoe ended his career with 227 goals and 20 international goals.
You are correct. Eddie will never reach that. And yes he is quicker than Laca.
What a result!
Well played Eddie!
I love the Saka shit housing that led to the penalty. Top man!
Aaah how sweet was that. The heart, the passion, we scored 4 fouls, imagone that against Chelsea, we are certainly doing it the hard way but we are doing it. Salute the to the Hale End boys, much love for the boys, shout out to Xhaka, i thought he was excellent today, quality performance, Elneny too very efficient. COYG!
GOALS
Odegaard made it all happen. Everything went through him.
His marking was exceptional also.
Well, I’ve been telling you lot that it’s not over yet. Well done lads. Great performances tonight from one and all. Good to see the manager finally implementing some common sense and playing Holding in a three at the back with Saka (initially) as a wing back, which is what I’ve been calling for. Three at the back has got to be the way forward now; it gives us a bit more solidarity at the back (silly mistakes aside) and a much more potent attack going forward. Elneny and Eddie really surprised me and deserve great credit. Massive result. Now… Read more »
Big shout to Elneny he had a great game never a star but always gives his all.
Well this was fun.
It’s weird, though. We’re supposed to be a possession team, but we’re at our worst when we have all the possession and are supposed to create something.
Conversely, we’re at our best when we’re pressing and counterattacking.
But boy, was it satisfying to watch that Chelsea cunt lose it after the penalty award.
Ha! Agreed! Whining winging prick, gets away will all manner of dark arts all throughout his career. Beautiful to see his pathetic melt-down when the tables are turned on him.
Cesar A-squealy-peacker–fuck off cunt.
Think your right. Our best performances since January even though we lost have been against City and Liverpool at home and tonight.
Hale End 4-2 Shed End.
FUCK YES!!!!!
Top four is still on. Soft ass fans giving up on the fight please stay quiet…!!! We can beat shit United this weekend.
COYG!!!
Wins always feel amazing. A win after 3 losses, even better! A win away from home against a strong team, absolutely lovely.
A win that shuts up some of our drama queen fanbase, fucking brilliant!
Arteta’s fanbois were pretty quiet a few days ago, aren’t they?
Comically bad defending. Brilliant finishing. Suicidal passing.
Can’t agree more with this, I couldn’t figure out whether I was happy or not at 2-2!!
I was livid at 2-2, i felt Chelsea goals were far too soft, we should have done better and i feared Chelsea would go on a knick it, i mean to leads all lost cheaply. But damn whatever Arteta said the boys came back with renewed fiee and fight, steadier defending and the gods smiled at us today. COYG! All to play for.
Yeh the second half had a lot less dodgy play, everyone seemed to calm down a bit. Great to see.
Suicidal is the only way to describe some of the passing. If not for Elneny, I fear there would have been zero control in the first half. That said, hell of an effort by all, and a deserved three points, in my opinion.
Having White at RB allowed Tavares to play his natural game at LB. Arteta struck the right balance as when Tomiyasu and Tierney were available.
Elneny as the 6 allowed Xhaka to play forward passes from higher up the pitch, but the midfield seemed flatter as a unit across the pitch when defending as Elneny slotted between the CBs and the wingers formed 4 across with Xhaka and MO in the middle.
I thought Xhaka was immense. He directed everyone front to back on the left side when defending, and it was mostly a dead end for CFC.
Xhaka was immense. Spot on!
Turns out our ESR this season were Holding and Elneny…
Never would have guessed.
Saka is just amazing and fair play to Eddie, I wasn’t expecting much from him.
Well that was unexpected
Frustrating that we can’t score against rubbish but smash in 4 at the Bridge.
Nketia MOTM
The defence in the first half not great but better in the second.
We still have to beat United and Spuds to get fourth: why do we have to do everything the hard way?
It’s the Arsenal way.
^ This. 100%.
We don’t ‘have’ to beat United and Spurs to get fourth.
Yes we do realistically
Said to friends a few weeks ago that this, MU and NLD were the games that had to be won, and if we did, the others wouldn’t really matter. Admittedly did not expect to get nothing from Palace, Brighton and Southampton, but original thought remains the same. Either way, our fate is back in our own hands!!
2 AM game. Early morning tomorrow. Wife is delivering our 2nd born in a few days. Had a sneaky feeling tonight’s match would be worth watching still. Thank you Arsenal, what a way to play a London derby. And hats off to our Hale End Boys! Also great to see the old guard of Xhaka and Mo stepping up with big performances. Who else saw how much Odegaard was leading and instructing our team press? Loved every bit of that.
Congratulations and please name your child Elneny
cheers on the “unlikely three points” and the volatile confidence on a team that has shown many many times that has got what it takes to be up there with the best
Nuno, Elneny, Xhaka, Eddie were all fantastic in particular. The whole team in general was good. Give Mo a new contract! Solid squad player, doesn’t kick up a fuss and steps up when needed.
Really don’t wish to be negative on such a great night, but Nuno was not fantastic. His two biggest moments were a failure of the most basic principles of defending and a horrible miss on the easiest finishing opportunity of the game. Gave great effort and I hope all the best for him, but to label his performance “fantastic” is farcical. Agree with everything else you said and am a huge fan of Elneny. Hard to imagine a better squad player in his position.
Relax buddy, he is just 21 coming off the back of a tough period and to put in a solid performance against European Champions, the team which gave Real Madrid a run for their money on their last home game, isn’t easy.
Don’t be a knit picker! 🙂
I’m very relaxed. Just disagree with your assessment of Tavares’ performance, that’s all. Never said he was awful throughout or that his career is over at 21, just that his performance in this game wasn’t “fantastic.”
Excellent performance – some all round good performances there
Hale End academy
I’m so emotionally confused by this team.
I hate Arsenal. I fucking love it too, with all my heart. But I hate it.
Wow I didn’t see that coming but if we can turn scum utd over at the weekend, the team I hate the most, then that’d be awesome – could it happen? I sure hope so!!!
Get in!
The top 4.
4-2une favours the brave.
Sorry Arsenal, I doubted you. Please forgive me.
Good performance from xhaka tonight – fair play
That was NOT the result I was expecting, but damn does it feel good to stick it to Chelsea.