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Kai Havertz scored twice against his former club as Arsenal tightened their grip on top spot in the Premier League by denting Chelsea’s European aspirations with a crushing 5-0 victory.
Gunners striker Havertz, who completed a £65 million move from Stamford Bridge last summer, scored two of four second-half goals on a remarkable evening at a jubilant Emirates Stadium.
Defender Ben White also bagged a brace for Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing side, adding to Leandro Trossard’s opener, as the Blues’ recent resurgence failed embarrassingly in the absence of the key man Cole Palmer.
Victory put Arsenal three points clear of second-placed Liverpool after playing a game more, while reigning champions Manchester City are four points behind with two matches in hand.
Mail Sport’s Issan Khan picks out some of the things you may have missed.
Trossard keeps Arsenal in title race
The magic of Leandro Trossard in front of goal continues.
Prior to this match, the Belgian striker was averaging a goal every 136 minutes for Arsenal in all competitions this season.
His shot conversion rate was also 24 percent, the best in the Gunners team.
Tuesday night, he was on the scoresheet again. This area on the left side of the box was constantly peppered, as he drifted in from wide positions to cause Chelsea’s defense problems which they struggled to cope with.
Trossard’s goals – he now has 10 in the Premier League – are helping to keep the Gunners in the title race.
Full house for the London derby
The match was not a sell-out as of midday on Tuesday, with the Emirates expected to have empty sections.
This is partly because the match was originally scheduled for March 16.
With plenty of tickets available, Arsenal have opened sales to members of all levels. The change worked since the stadium was full.
Tomiyasu’s timely return
Takehiro Tomiyasu started for Arsenal after missing the Wolves game.
It’s good timing, with Jurrien Timber close to a return from an ACL injury.
Once he is fully fit, the left-back position will be extremely competitive at Arsenal.
It is unclear who VAR supports
Following Nottingham Forest’s VAR outburst – they accused Stuart Attwell of being a Luton fan after their 2-0 defeat to Everton – the topic of who supports who is hot.
Peter Bankes, VAR for this game, has not publicly revealed who he is supporting. But, interestingly, he doesn’t referee Everton or Liverpool matches…
Chelsea taunts fall flat
Chelsea fans were initially delighted with the Gunners’ exit from Europe to Bayern Munich last week.
They brought inflatable Champions League trophies and a “We love Tuchel” banner, a nod to former boss Thomas Tuchel, now at Bayern. Arsenal, however, had the last laugh.
Gunners replace the badge with a cannon
It has been confirmed that Arsenal will have their iconic cannon symbol on their jersey from next season, instead of the club crest.
They have already used the emblem on their 2022-23 black away kit and this year’s green third jersey.
The move reflects the history of the north London club, with the canon referring to Woolwich’s military influence.
The last time an Arsenal home shirt used the symbol instead of the club badge was in the 1989-90 season.
