Times are changing at Stamford Bridge. Even Arsenal, who once dreaded a trip to this corner of west London, have lost the fear. There is nobody of Didier Drogba’s ilk to bully their defenders into submission these days and, as a measure of how readily Mikel Arteta’s players accepted the challenge of breathing life back into their Champions League challenge, nothing summed it up more than Bukayo Saka converting the penalty that finally dashed Chelsea’s hopes of stealing a point.
It was a moment of huge significance for Saka, who had not taken a spot-kick since missing the decisive one when England lost to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. There were no nerves from Arsenal’s brilliant young winger. Saka was full of belief after tormenting Chelsea’s faltering defence and his steel under pressure meant that Arsenal, who had a point to prove after three successive defeats, could celebrate going level with fourth-placed Tottenham with six games left.
