CAPTAIN FANTASTIC: Martin Ødegaard wreaked havoc with Chelsea in what became a humiliation like no other. Photo: Kin Cheung / AP / NTB
(Arsenal – Chelsea 5–0) Over to you, Liverpool and Manchester City.
Reporting from London on Tuesday 23 April at 23:57
Arsenal’s crushing victory means they now lead the Premier League with three points on Liverpool and four on Manchester City. The two rivals have respectively played one and two games less.
– It was a scare shot written in block letters and three exclamation marks. We are here, we are fit and we will last the season, says Viaplay expert Lars Tjærnås.
One of the real highlights of the match came when Martin Ødegaard played an absolutely sensational pass through to Kai Havertz.
The German made it 3-0 in the second half. See Ødegaard’s pass here:
– Top, top, top assist from Ødegaard, wrote Athletic journalist Art de Roche.
– It shouldn’t be possible to hit with millimeter precision, said Tjærnås about Ødegaard’s pass before the 3-0 goal.
– Ødegaard is incredible tonight, added ex-player Ray Parlour.
Ødegaard created eight chances for his teammates – he has never created more in one and the same match as an Arsenal player.
Before the corner that led to 2–0, Ødegaard also hit a pass that made the experts gape. But then Havertz was unable to put the ball in the goal.
– Not many players in the world can beat that, says Pål André Helland in Viaplay’s studio.
5–0 is the biggest margin of victory Arsenal have had over Chelsea ever.
And the celebration of ex-Chelsea player Kai Havertz could not be misunderstood:
PEEKABOO: Kai Havertz was long labeled as a flop, and then ridiculed, after his transfer this summer. Right now, he’s the one who laughs the best. Photo: GLYN KIRK / AFP / NTB
“Are you Tottenham in disguise,” the home fans taunted their city rivals as they cruised to yet another win.
“You’re f*cking shit” resounded 4–0. At 5-0 and just before the end, the home fans came with sarcastic “Olé” shouts every time Chelsea completed a pass.
Arsenal may have the points advantage now, but a tough schedule awaits with the North London derby already away on Sunday:
Arsenal’s remaining fixtures
Sunday 28 April at 3pm: Tottenham – Arsenal
Saturday 4 May at 1.30pm: Arsenal – Bournemouth
Sunday 12 May at 17.30: Manchester United – Arsenal
Sunday 19 May at 17:00: Arsenal – Everton
Sea view
Leandro Trossard opened the show after four minutes, his tenth of the season in the league, and what a signing he has proved to be.
The visitors had their chances too, for all intents and purposes, but early on you had the feeling that this was Arsenal’s game to lose.
Nicolas Jackson once again struggled to hit the target, but he hit Arsenal stopper Takehiro Tomiyasu – on the ankle. Rio Ferdinand in the TNT Sports studio was very surprised as to why it was not punished more severely.
It doesn’t matter much: Ben White doubled early in the second half, Havertz added two goals soon after, Ben White again and then it was another comfortable victory. No, it was humiliation in the end.
Ødegaard played on with this goal-scoring lob:
– I got a bad touch and then it went in, smiles Ben White in an interview broadcast by Viaplay after the match – about the score you can see in the video window above.
Arsenal’s season showed signs of unraveling when, within a few days, they lost 0-2 at home to Aston Villa in the league and then crashed out of the Champions League against Bayern Munich.
However, unlike last year, they immediately hit back.
Although the league title is not in their hands – Manchester City will be champions if they win them all sine matches – shows Arsenal that they really plan to be involved right into the year.
Maybe it goes all the way to the top?