Havertz scores twice as Chelsea are thrashed by Arsenal
Kai Havertz scored twice against his former club as Chelsea were embarrassed at the Emirates Stadium.
Ben White scored twice too and Leandro Trossard also netted for Arsenal, whose win moved them three points clear at the top of the Premier League – and a whopping 30 points clear of woeful Chelsea.
The Blues offered very little without star man Cole Palmer, who missed the game because of illness.
They were second best throughout – and fortunate to be only a goal down and still with 11 men at the interval after Trossard gave Arsenal an early lead and Nicolas Jackson escaped without even a yellow card after a horrible challenge on Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Two goals in the space of five minutes early in the second half put the north London side in complete control, with White doubling their lead shortly before Havertz made it three. Two more goals followed and the Gunners could easily have scored more.
Trossard was helped by Declan Rice and Djordje Petrovic for the opener.
Rice drove forward, cleverly leading the inexperienced Alfie Gilchrist to lose Trossard, who received the England midfielder’s pass and blasted past Petrovic, who was beaten at his near post and should have done better.
Chelsea’s defending has been poor for much of the season and their shortcomings at the back were evident again for the second goal.
They failed to deal with a short-corner routine and, after Rice’s shot was blocked, White made the most of Marc Cucurella’s half-hearted marking by firing home.
And Chelsea were punished again when, after William Saliba robbed Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard set up Havertz with a superb pass and the German coolly lifted the ball over Petrovic.
Havertz thumped in off the post to make it four and White’s mis-hit cross sailed in to complete the rout.
Chelsea: Petrovic, Gilchrist (Silva 78), Badiashile, Disasi, Cucurella, Fernandez (Chalobah 68), Caicedo, Mudryk (Sterling 68), Madueke (Casadei 78), Gallagher, Jackson.
Subs not used: Bettinelli, Chukwuemeka, Deivid, Tauriainen, Dyer.
