Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal: Eddie Nketiah scores twice in win for Gunners

Eddie Nketiah had not scored in the Premier League for a year prior to his double at Stamford Bridge

Arsenal got their pursuit of a place in the Premier League's top four back on track as they ended a run of three defeats with a crucial victory at Chelsea.

The Gunners' hopes of securing a place in next season's Champions League had been significantly damaged by those losses but this win will provide renewed belief.

Eddie Nketiah was selected ahead of out-of-sorts Alexandre Lacazette in Arsenal's attack and he rewarded manager Mikel Arteta's faith when he took advantage of Andreas Christensen's weak back pass with a composed finish.

It was the start of a chaotic first half as Timo Werner equalised with a deflected shot four minutes later before Emile Smith Rowe showed a touch of class to beat Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy with a cool finish from the edge of the area.

Chelsea were back on terms again before the break through captain Cesar Azpilicueta but Nketiah pounced on a series of defensive errors in the Blues' box to put Arsenal back in front just before the hour mark.

Bukayo Saka was outstanding for Arsenal and he got the reward his performance deserved when he sealed the win from the spot in added time after he was hauled down by Azpilicueta.

The Gunners are now level on points with north London rivals Tottenham with a derby at Emirates Stadium still to come.

Arsenal produce at crucial moment

Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal: A 'great night' for the Gunners - Mikel Arteta

Questions about Arsenal's character and ability to maintain a fight for a top-four finish were starting to be asked after three defeats in a row but this was a display that showed plenty of grit.

Arsenal were on the front foot right from the start, pressing Chelsea into mistakes and refusing to buckle even when Thomas Tuchel's side equalised twice.

Nketiah was the headline-grabber with two goals but Saka and Smith Rowe showed Arsenal have two real gems for the future.

Saka gave Marcos Alonso a tough time on Arsenal's right flank, helping to create Smith Rowe's goal, setting up other chances then scoring the fourth with a clinical penalty after he was fouled.

Smith Rowe demonstrated great composure to finish sweetly for his 11th goal of the season, a fine tally for this richly promising 21-year-old playmaker.

Arsenal now face struggling Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on Saturday lunchtime feeling much better about themselves after a deserved triumph.

Chelsea 2-4 Arsenal: Third successive home defeat 'unacceptable' - Tuchel

Chelsea slip up again

Chelsea were playing in front of a reduced Stamford Bridge crowd of 32,249 with general tickets not on sale because of restrictions imposed on owner Roman Abramovich as a result of his alleged links with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The season ticket holders who were there saw Chelsea suffer their third successive home defeat.

That spell has seen them concede 11 goals, four against Brentford and in this game against Arsenal in the league either side of a 3-1 Champions League quarter-final loss to Real Madrid.

Chelsea looked nervous and ragged at the back, with Denmark centre-back Christensen the biggest culprit.

His weak backpass set Nketiah clear to put Arsenal on their way and it was no surprise when he was replaced by Thiago Silva at the start of the second half.

It was also another disappointing night for striker Romelu Lukaku, who was finally given a start and a chance to kick-start his indifferent season by Tuchel.

Instead, he struggled and was replaced by Kai Havertz with the feeling that time is running out for the Belgium forward to justify his £97.5m fee.

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Player of the match

NketiahEddie Nketiah

with an average of 7.86

• ChelseaChelseaChelsea
• ArsenalArsenalArsenal

Chelsea

Avg

1. Squad number11Player nameWerner

   Average rating

   5.97
2. Squad number19Player nameMount

   Average rating

   5.61
3. Squad number7Player nameKanté

   Average rating

   5.34
4. Squad number24Player nameJames

   Average rating

   5.02
5. Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta

   Average rating

   4.98
6. Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva

   Average rating

   4.92
7. Squad number12Player nameLoftus-Cheek

   Average rating

   4.87
8. Squad number16Player nameMendy

   Average rating

   4.84
9. Squad number3Player nameAlonso

   Average rating

   4.70
10. Squad number29Player nameHavertz

    Average rating

    4.68
11. Squad number9Player nameLukaku

    Average rating

    4.18
12. Squad number31Player nameSarr

    Average rating

    4.17
13. Squad number22Player nameZiyech

    Average rating

    4.07
14. Squad number4Player nameChristensen

    Average rating

    4.01

Arsenal

Avg

1. Squad number30Player nameNketiah

   Average rating

   7.86
2. Squad number7Player nameSaka

   Average rating

   7.82
3. Squad number10Player nameSmith Rowe

   Average rating

   7.67
4. Squad number8Player nameØdegaard

   Average rating

   7.48
5. Squad number35Player nameGabriel Martinelli

   Average rating

   7.35
6. Squad number17Player nameCédric Soares

   Average rating

   6.96
7. Squad number34Player nameXhaka

   Average rating

   6.88
8. Squad number25Player nameMohamed Elneny

   Average rating

   6.79
9. Squad number4Player nameWhite

   Average rating

   6.78
10. Squad number32Player nameRamsdale

    Average rating

    6.75
11. Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães

    Average rating

    6.71
12. Squad number16Player nameHolding

    Average rating

    6.51
13. Squad number9Player nameLacazette

    Average rating

    6.41
14. Squad number20Player nameNuno Tavares

    Average rating

    6.24

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Chelsea

Formation 3-4-1-2

16Mendy

24James4Christensen31Sarr

28Azpilicueta12Loftus-Cheek7Kanté3Alonso

19Mount

9Lukaku11Werner

• 16Mendy
• 24James
• 4ChristensenSubstituted forThiago Silvaat 45'minutes
• 31SarrBooked at 65mins
• 28AzpilicuetaBooked at 90mins
• 12Loftus-Cheek
• 7Kanté
• 3AlonsoSubstituted forZiyechat 81'minutes
• 19MountBooked at 84mins
• 9LukakuSubstituted forHavertzat 60'minutes
• 11Werner

Substitutes

• 1Arrizabalaga
• 5Jorginho
• 6Thiago Silva
• 10Pulisic
• 14Chalobah
• 17Saúl
• 18Barkley
• 22Ziyech
• 29Havertz

Arsenal

Formation 4-2-3-1

32Ramsdale

4White16Holding6Gabriel20Tavares

25Elneny34Xhaka

7Saka8Ødegaard10Smith Rowe

30Nketiah

• 32Ramsdale
• 4White
• 16Holding
• 6GabrielBooked at 90mins
• 20Tavares
• 25Elneny
• 34Xhaka
• 7SakaSubstituted forLacazetteat 90+5'minutes
• 8Ødegaard
• 10Smith RoweSubstituted forCédric Soaresat 75'minutes
• 30NketiahSubstituted forMartinelliat 70'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Leno
• 9Lacazette
• 17Cédric Soares
• 19Pépé
• 23Sambi Lokonga
• 35Martinelli
• 38Azeez
• 69Swanson
• 82Hutchinson

Referee:

Jonathan Moss

Attendance:

32,249

Match Stats

Home TeamChelseaAway TeamArsenal

Possession

Home68%

Away32%

Shots

Home11

Away14

Shots on Target

Home2

Away4

Corners

Home6

Away1

Fouls

Home7

Away6

Live Text

1. Post update

   Match ends, Chelsea 2, Arsenal 4.

2. 90'+6'

   Full Time

   Second Half ends, Chelsea 2, Arsenal 4.

3. 90'+5'

   Substitution

   Substitution, Arsenal. Alexandre Lacazette replaces Bukayo Saka.

4. 90'+2'

   Post update

   Goal! Chelsea 2, Arsenal 4. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.

5. 90'+1'

   Booking

   César Azpilicueta (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card.

6. 90'+1'

   Booking

   Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card.

7. 90'

   Post update

   Penalty conceded by César Azpilicueta (Chelsea) after a foul in the penalty area.

8. 90'

   Post update

   Penalty Arsenal. Bukayo Saka draws a foul in the penalty area.

9. 87'

   Post update

   Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Rob Holding.

10. 85'

    Post update

    Attempt missed. Nuno Tavares (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.

11. 84'

    Booking

    Mason Mount (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

12. 84'

    Post update

    Foul by Mason Mount (Chelsea).

13. 84'

    Post update

    Cédric Soares (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

14. 82'

    Post update

    Attempt missed. Nuno Tavares (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Cédric Soares.

15. 81'

    Post update

    Foul by Malang Sarr (Chelsea).

16. 81'

    Post update

    Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

17. 81'

    Substitution

    Substitution, Chelsea. Hakim Ziyech replaces Marcos Alonso.

18. 75'

    Post update

    Attempt missed. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Cédric Soares.

19. 75'

    Substitution

    Substitution, Arsenal. Cédric Soares replaces Emile Smith Rowe.

20. 70'

    Substitution

    Substitution, Arsenal. Gabriel Martinelli replaces Eddie Nketiah.

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