Arsenal alone in first place

Arsenal made it clear last night that London is red, with a ruthless 5-0 victory against bitter rivals Chelsea.

The difference in the state of both projects was on full display under the lights of the Emirates Stadium.

The Blues were completely outclassed by a relentless Arsenal side that played like they had a point to prove.

A midfield masterclass

Last night was the first time in the Premier League this season that Mikel Arteta was able to field his strongest midfield.

Regulars Declan Rice and captain Martin Ødegaard finally started alongside Thomas Partey, and their dominance showed right from kickoff.

Partey, who has missed most of the season through injury, reminded fans just how crucial he is to the way that the Gunners play.

His ability gave Declan Rice the freedom to play forward, while Martin Ødegaard had arguably his best performance in red and white to date.

Chelsea, on the other hand, were without their star man Cole Palmer and they struggled without his creative spark.

Arsenal’s blistering second half

Arsenal got off to the perfect start with a free-flowing team goal, finished by Leandro Trossard in the fourth minute.

Chelsea threatened to equalise on the counterattack on multiple occasions, but their struggles in front of goal continued to haunt them.

The second half was a completely different story, and it was all over by the 60th minute.

Ben White scored the second for the Gunners in the 52nd minute after the ball fell into his path in the box.

Former Chelsea man Kai Havertz then put the game to bed five minutes later with a smart finish following a perfect through ball from Martin Ødegaard.

Havertz got himself a brace with a second goal in the 65th minute, and White wrapped things up with an accidental goal with 20 minutes remaining.

The title race heats up

Yesterday’s win brings Arsenal’s point tally up to 77, three points clear of Liverpool and four clear of Manchester City.

Liverpool play tonight and City play tomorrow, so we will soon have a clearer picture of where this title race stands with only a handful of games remaining.

This is a truly special season that could well go all the way to the final matchday.