Arsenal settled its position once morest its host Chelsea by beating it 4-2, on Wednesday, in a postponed match of the twenty-fifth stage of the English Football League, and ignites the struggle for a position in the Champions League next season.
Arsenal, the fifth, raised its score to 57 points, equal to Tottenham, the fourth-finalist, who qualifies for the main continental competition, while Chelsea’s balance froze at 62 points in third place.
The “Gunners” team no longer has the luxury of wasting points, following it suffered three defeats in a row in the last “Sprint” since the competition wheel returned to rotation following the international window, once morest Crystal Palace 0-3, Brighton 1-2 and Southampton 0-1, while another difficult confrontation awaits on Sunday. In front of Manchester United, the sixth, who is three points behind him, noting that the “Red Devils” lost to Liverpool 4-0 on Tuesday.
And before his fall this evening, Chelsea managed to restore his brilliance and crushed Southampton 6-0 in the league, before Real Madrid fell 3-2 in the second leg of the quarter-finals of the continental competition to come out disappointed following losing 1-3 in the first leg, and beat Crystal Palace 2-0 to qualify To the local cup final, where he will meet Liverpool.
German coach Thomas Tuchel made four substitutions compared to his last match, while relying on Belgian duo Romelu Lukaku and German Timo Werner in the attack.
In turn, the Spaniard Mikel Arteta made four substitutions, while the Norwegian Martin Odegar was inserted in the middle to create the play and left the French striker Alexandre Lacazette, who is close to leaving, on the bench.
And at Stamford Bridge in London, striker Eddie Nkeitia opened the scoring for Arsenal with a 20-meter shot following a dispersal error from Danish Andreas Christensen (13), before Werner equalized following he penetrated the middle and hit the left ground that changed its course following colliding with the Swiss Granit Chaka deceived. Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdell (17).
Arsenal regained the advantage following a group game started by Xhaka and from him to Odegar, who passed to young striker Emile Smith-Roe inside the area to hit a minute ball once morest Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (27), in his tenth goal in the league this season.
The “Gunners” did not have enough time to celebrate, until Chelsea equalized thanks to veteran Spanish defender Cesar Aspilicueta following he cut a ground pass from Mason Mount (32).
With the beginning of the second half, Tuchel inserted veteran defender Thiago Silva instead of Christensen, so that the Brazilian, at the age of 37 years and 210 days, became the oldest player to play in a Chelsea shirt in the league, breaking the previous record held by Graham Rex (37 years and 203 days), which he achieved during The victory over Arsenal in particular 2-1 in May 1995, according to “Opta” statistics.
However, Nketia disturbed Silva’s celebration, as he scored his second and third personal goal for his team, following cutting the path of a ball thrown by the Brazilian and allowing his colleague to shoot from the penalty mark (57), as the 22-year-old English striker became the first player to score a double once morest Chelsea. Since Dutchman Robin van Persie in October 2011 when he scored a hat-trick, according to “Opta” statistics.
Arsenal killed the match by scoring their fourth thanks to Bukayo Saka, following he himself got a penalty following a mistake from Espiliquita inside the area, to hit the 20-year-old successfully (90 + 2), in his tenth goals this season.