Arsenal vs. Chelsea: Score and Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match
Arsenal grabbed their first Premier League win over rivals Chelsea in years on Saturday, dominating the Blues from start to finish at the Emirates Stadium and coming away with a 3-0 victory.
The Gunners took an early lead through Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott, who both scored inside the first 15 minutes, and the hosts continued their impressive showing throughout the half. Mesut Ozil added a late goal, handing his team a three-goal lead after the first 45 minutes.
Chelsea improved after the break but never threatened goalkeeper Petr Cech. The final result was never in doubt.
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Per Arsenal's official Twitter account, Granit Xhaka again started from the bench for the Gunners, while Cesc Fabregas made Chelsea's starting XI:
As Bleacher Report UK shared, it had been some time since Arsenal last beat Chelsea in the Premier League:
The Gunners took control of the match right from kick-off, and Santi Cazorla forced Thibaut Courtois into a great save early with a thumping effort from well outside the box. Arsenal moved the ball at great speed, and Chelsea could do little to stop them.
Willian and Eden Hazard worked themselves into dangerous positions, but most of the action took place in Chelsea territory. A sharp cross caused some problems inside the box before Gary Cahill gifted the hosts the lead with a horrible blunder.
The England international turned to play a pass back to Courtois and instead sent Sanchez through on goal, with the Belgian stopper not reacting in time to prevent the Chilean from scoring. Sport Witness had to take a shot at Cahill:
Just three minutes later, the hosts doubled the lead. Hector Bellerin was given far too much space out wide, and the full-back picked out Walcott with a perfect cross, allowing the forward to convert easily.
Unusual Efforts were among the many mocking the Blues' early efforts:
"Well Chelsea really pic.twitter.com/UBcqy8KBms
— Unusual Efforts (@UnusualEfforts) September 24, 2016"
Arsenal kept pushing forward, and Sanchez forced Courtois into another save after a quick break down the wing. The Blues kept losing the ball in midfield, and Alex Iwobi nearly sent Sanchez through on goal after 20 minutes.
Hazard and Diego Costa created some space for Willian, who fired a shot across the face of goal, and Laurent Koscielny did well to block a shot from Hazard as the Blues grew into the half. Arsenal kept creating chances as well, with Cahill denying Bellerin an open shot on goal.
Branislav Ivanovic picked up the first booking of the match for a trip on Iwobi, and Francis Coquelin and Willian clashed, leaving the former in a lot of pain. Coquelin was unable to continue, making way for Xhaka after 32 minutes.
ESPN FC's Mattias Karen noted the Frenchman has been excellent of late:
The pace of the match dropped slightly toward the end of the half, but there was still time for a third Arsenal goal. Chelsea clumsily lost the ball, and Ozil and Sanchez combined well to launch a superb counter that the German finished off.
Bleacher Report UK broke out a familiar meme:
Chelsea tried to push back with a late surge, but Hazard could only find the side netting before the half-time whistle blew.
Somewhat surprisingly, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte made no changes to start the second half. The Blues began the half well, with Costa dropping deep to get involved, but Arsenal's midfield kept a tight lid on the spaces available.
On the other side of the pitch, Walcott almost picked out Sanchez with a cross after the defence again failed to close him down.
Fabregas made way for Marcos Alonso, as Conte tried to get more of a grip on the battle out wide by going to a back three. The change seemed to work, as the Blues seemed more secure in possession and actually started to find space in the Arsenal half.
Cahill and Courtois got into a shouting match after some poor communication saw the defender clear the ball ahead of Cazorla. Unusual Efforts thought it was rather amusing:
Ivanovic had a go with a shot from long range, but his effort flew well high of the mark. Walcott nearly doubled his tally, as Courtois made an excellent save at the near post to deny the winger.
Substitute Pedro thought he had a clean path through on goal before Bellerin came flying in with one of the best tackles of the week, taking the chance away from his compatriot.
Copa90 loved the effort:
Pedro made a solid impression in his short cameo but couldn't produce too much danger. Arsenal were happy to take their foot off the gas and play out the rest of the half, fending off a handful of minor chances along the way. Cech produced a fine save to deny Michy Batshuayi, preserving his clean sheet.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was a happy man after the match:
His colleague Conte noted he has a lot of work to do:
Arsenal will host FC Basel in the UEFA Champions League in their next match, while Chelsea visit Hull City in the Premier League.
