In a historic showdown, Arsenal seized a resounding 5-0 victory over Chelsea, marking their largest-ever win against the Blues. Kai Havertz, facing his former club, spearheaded the onslaught with a brace, solidifying Arsenal’s dominance at the summit of the Premier League standings.
The match ignited in the fourth minute with a swift strike from Leandro Trossard, setting the tone for Arsenal’s relentless pursuit of goals. Despite a competitive first half, the floodgates opened wide in the second, as Ben White and Kai Havertz each netted twice within an astonishing 18-minute interval. The defeat handed Chelsea their most devastating loss in a London derby since March 1986, leaving them reeling from yet another setback following their recent FA Cup semifinal defeat to Manchester City.
Mauricio Pochettino admitted Chelsea “gave up” in Tuesday’s 5-0 thrashing at Arsenal. Pochettino, though, insisted he didn’t feel let down by his players’ effort, pointing to mitigating circumstances such as Palmer’s absence, a young starting lineup and fatigue from what he called “an amazing performance” against Man City three days ago.”We talked at half-time about how it is not possible to start the game like this,” Pochettino said. “But we started [the second half] in a bad way again. We conceded two goals and in this moment, the team gave up. We were not in the game.”
Asked whether that capitulation made him question the character of some of his players, Pochettino continued: “No, it is not the character.”
“No, it is not the character,” he continued. “I played football and I was in some similar situations with big players, experienced players. I played with [Diego] Maradona, I played with Ronaldinho, I played with [Gabriel] Batistuta. In some part of the season, these types of things can happen and you say: ‘Yes, these guys that were at the top, give up.’
“Sometimes because of the opponent, because of our energy because nothing is for you in this situation and you cannot find nothing positive during the game and this type of thing happens. It will happen for sure with different teams.”
Leandro Trossard initiated the scoring just four minutes into the game, setting the pace for an eventful match. Despite both teams regularly threatening to score throughout the peculiar first half, no further goals materialized. However, the second half witnessed a flurry of action, with four goals struck in a mere 18 minutes. Ben White and Kai Havertz each contributed a brace to the scoreboard. Havertz, the German international, who notably switched allegiance from Chelsea to Arsenal last summer in a high-profile transfer, showcased his prowess once more by finding the net again in the 65th minute with a well-placed shot from the heart of the penalty area. White further compounded Chelsea’s misery by netting a fortunate second goal in the 70th minute, as his attempted volleyed cross unexpectedly found its way into the back of the net, sealing Arsenal’s commanding victory.
Seeking to stem the tide, Pochettino introduced veteran center back Thiago Silva in a bid to mitigate further damage. However, Arsenal’s relentless onslaught proved insurmountable, underscoring their dominance on the pitch and further cementing their status as frontrunners in the Premier League race.
