We went three points clear at the top of the Premier League with an outstanding 5-0 win at home to Chelsea in the London derby on Tuesday night.
Leandro Trossard gave us an early advantage with our 100th goal of the season in all competitions and a dominant second-half display saw Ben White double our lead before Kai Havertz chipped in our third, netted the fourth, and White made it five in a fantastic Emirates Stadium atmosphere.
Stunning start
Following a typically rousing rendition of North London Forever, Emirates Stadium remained in full voice when, four minutes in, a progressive pass from Thomas Partey allowed Declan Rice to burst forward. He in turn found Trossard who smashed it low past Djordje Petrovic on his left foot from a narrow angle for his fifth goal in his last eight Premier League starts. 1-0 to The Arsenal.
With less than 15 minutes still on the clock, Martin Odegaard lifted the ball to the far post where Takehiro Tomiyasu rose highest to head over the bar before Conor Gallagher’s cross evaded everyone at the other end and Benoit Badiashile struck wide from a Mykhailo Mudryk corner.
Declan Rice came close with a terrific curling effort from the edge of the area going just over the crossbar midway through the first half.
Breathless battle
The visitors almost found an equaliser when Nicolas Jackson charged down the left wing and his cross was deflected onto the post by Gabriel, but we prevented Chelsea from growing into the game by continuing to look for a second, Havertz twice denied by the quick reflexes of Petrovic, initially at the near post after Ben White dispossessed Gallagher high up the pitch.
In an end-to-end encounter, Enzo Fernandez cushioned a shot just wide of the bottom left corner after Noni Madueke’s cross reached Marc Cucurella and his shot was blocked by White.
Bukayo Saka fired over the bar from distance but it was Trossard who again got the crowd going when he won a foot race with Alfie Gilchrist by the touchline before we went into the half-time break a goal ahead.
No complacency
We started the second half with similar vibrancy to the first, Odegaard having a shot saved by the right hand and then left foot of Petrovic before our captain found Havertz with a clever inverted pass and Petrovic was there again to make the save.
The pressure paid off in the 52nd minute when a well-worked corner routine by Saka and Odegaard teed up Rice to have a go at goal and the ball fell kindly for White, who slotted it calmly into the bottom left corner on his left foot.
Emirates Stadium went from loud to electric moments later, when an incredible curling pass from Odegaard was collected by Havertz, who lifted it beyond Petrovic for 3-0 - an emphatic start to the second half.
There were still 25 minutes left when we made it 4-0 as Saka shifted the ball inside to Havertz, who knocked it in off the post, before White had the ball in the net again for his brace when he cushioned the ball in at the far post after receiving the ball from Odegaard.
Mikel Arteta made four changes in the 72nd minute as Havertz, Trossard, Partey and Tomiyasu made way for Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Jorginho and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Fabio Vieira came on as our fifth and final substitution as Saka made way with ten minutes to go.
Rice almost notched a sixth goal of the night when he hit the far post having been found by Jesus, and sections of the ground thought Vieira had scored when his powerful strike flew into the side netting. Seven minutes were added on and Martinelli fired wide on the outside of his right foot before shooting another effort straight at Petrovic and the full-time whistle was blown.
Back to winning ways at Emirates Stadium, and what a way to do it.
Facts and stats
David Raya kept his 14th clean sheet in the Premier League this season as he leads the race for the Golden Glove.
We have scored our earliest goal in the Premier League against Chelsea (3:58) since Thierry Henry netted in the second minute versus the Blues in December 2004.
Rice has recorded six assists in 34 Premier League appearances for us, as many as he provided in his final 105 outings in the competition for West Ham.
We had 13 shots in the first half of this match, our most on record (since 2003/04) in the first half of a Premier League game against Chelsea.
White's goal was our 14th in the Premier League this season via a corner, the most of any team.
We have scored 12 goals via defenders in the Premier League this season, the outright most of any team (Tottenham Hotspur & Newcastle United - 11).
Havertz has been directly involved in 11 goals in his last 10 Premier League appearances (7 goals, 4 assists).
What’s next
It’s the north London derby up next as we make the short trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Sunday’s 2pm kick-off in the Premier League.
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