Chelsea's shocking Premier League form in 2023 continued last night as the Blues were comfortably beaten 3-1 by London rivals Arsenal. In search of their first win in nearly two months, Frank Lampard's men rocked up to Emirates Stadium with a point to prove, but any hope of a victory was shattered quickly with the Gunners going three goals in front after just 34 minutes.
Arsenal also came into the game after not winning any of their last four, but it was abundantly clear to see which team had something to fight for. The three points took Mikel Arteta's men back above Manchester City before they have the chance to make an immediate return to the summit when they face West Ham on Wednesday evening.
Noni Madueke gave the visitors some hope of a comeback with a well taken finish, but the England Under-21 international was the only shining on an otherwise abysmal night. Whoever takes charge of the club has seriously got their work cut out as Chelsea look completely devoid of ideas.
READ MORE: Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher agree on Chelsea problem after 'disgraceful' Arsenal display
With that said, football.london has rounded up some of the reaction from the national media where Chelsea are described as a shambles.
Mirror
Chelsea were nothing short of a shambles at the Emirates as Arsenal ruthlessly exploited their many shortcomings. The Blues were all at sea in defence, with all three of the Gunners' goals preventable by the visiting rearguard.
But there was precious little sign of leadership in the Chelsea backline, which allowed Arsenal to romp away to victory. It was not only in defence where the Blues were second-best though, with the visitors failing to trouble the Arsenal goal.
It took until the 25th minute for keeper Aaron Ramsdale to make his first save of the night. The dreadful defeat leaves Chelsea staring at the very real possibility of finishing in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 1996.
Chelsea's transfer splurge last summer will surely go down as one of the worst windows in Premier League history. None of their signings have impressed and they were all badly exposed by Arsenal in this dreadful defeat.
It took 43 minutes for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to have his first touch in the Arsenal half, with four of his touches before that having been kick-offs. The summer arrival from Barcelona also failed to have a shot as he was left isolated against Arsenal's defence.
Raheem Sterling, a £47.5m signing from Manchester City, also struggled badly once again. He was the culprit for leaving Odegaard unmarked for the Norwegian's second goal and completed just 53 per cent of his passes.
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The Telegraph
As the ball rolled into their net for the third time in the space of 16 wild minutes, and as Arsenal’s forwards wheeled away in delight, there were four Chelsea players lying on the turf in their own six-yard box. As a single image, it captured this game like no other: one side luxuriating in their own dominance, while the other lies helpless on the ground, their faces lodged in grass.
Floored. That was one word for it, anyway. Chelsea’s supporters might have a few others they would like to add, after a defeat that would have felt as gruelling as any of their many humblings this season. Not since 1998 has this club lost so many games in one campaign and, from the moment they emerged from the tunnel here, it was only ever going to be another.
For so much of the evening, this game felt like a meeting between project and plaything. On the red side, a team that has been constructed over a period of three years, with considered decisions and intelligent recruitment. On the blue, the Chelsea of 2023. So many players, but so few ideas.
In contrast to Chelsea’s aimlessness, Arsenal came into the night with one idea: returning to the top of the table. The accusations of “bottling” the league title have not sat well with Mikel Arteta’s players and they treated Chelsea as their punchbag for much of the night.
Martin Odegaard scored one, and then another, before Gabriel Jesus smashed in the third. Thump, thump, thump. It was a savaging at times, as Arsenal’s players took out all of the frustrations of a painful few weeks. Four games without a win had changed the dynamic of their season, probably ruining their hopes of winning the title, but suddenly a victory over their London rivals has altered the mood again.
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Evening Standard
Martin Odegaard’s first half brace helped Arsenal inflict a sixth consecutive defeat on Frank Lampard since becoming Chelsea interim manager – and boosted the Gunners’ title hopes again.
The Norwegian’s two near-identical finishes and Gabriel Jesus’ goal did the damage in the first half, before Noni Madueke pulled back a consolation for Chelsea.
The win lifted Arsenal back up to top spot in the Premier League, although Manchester City will have the chance to reclaim the position when they host West Ham on Wednesday.
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