Chelsea Thrash Arsenal in North London DerbyChelsea Thrash Arsenal in North London Derby In a pulsating North London derby at the Emirates Stadium, Chelsea delivered a clinical performance to thrash Arsenal 3-0, extending their unbeaten run in the Premier League to 10 games. The visitors started brightly and took the lead in the 15th minute. Kai Havertz latched onto a through ball from Christian Pulisic and rounded Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to slot home. Chelsea’s dominance continued as Havertz doubled the lead just before the half-hour mark, capitalizing on a defensive error from Takehiro Tomiyasu. Arsenal attempted to fight back in the second half but found Chelsea’s defense unyielding. The Blues extended their lead in the 74th minute when Jorginho converted a penalty after Bukayo Saka had fouled Pulisic in the area. Chelsea’s victory extended their grip on third place in the Premier League, while Arsenal remained in fifth. The result also marked Chelsea’s first win at the Emirates Stadium since 2018. Player Ratings: Chelsea: * Edouard Mendy (7): Solid in goal, making several key saves. * Cesar Azpilicueta (8): Captain’s performance, leading the defense with authority. * Thiago Silva (8): Imperious at the heart of the defense, snuffing out Arsenal’s attacks. * Antonio Rudiger (7): Aggressive and physical, keeping Arsenal’s forwards at bay. * Marcos Alonso (7): Provided width and creativity from the left flank. * Jorginho (8): Composed in midfield, controlling the tempo and converting the penalty. * Mateo Kovacic (8): Energetic and tenacious, winning back possession and driving forward. * Christian Pulisic (9): Man of the match, involved in both of Chelsea’s first-half goals. * Kai Havertz (9): Clinical in attack, scoring twice and tormenting Arsenal’s defense. * Timo Werner (6): Worked hard but lacked the cutting edge in front of goal. * Hakim Ziyech (7): Introduced in the second half and added some flair to Chelsea’s attack. Arsenal: * Aaron Ramsdale (6): Made some good saves but was let down by his defense. * Takehiro Tomiyasu (5): Had a difficult game against the pace of Pulisic and Havertz. * Ben White (5): Struggled to contain Chelsea’s attack, especially from wide areas. * Gabriel (6): Made some good interceptions but was caught out of position for Chelsea’s second goal. * Kieran Tierney (6): Provided some attacking threat but was often caught up the field. * Thomas Partey (5): Ineffective in midfield, failing to control Chelsea’s dominance. * Granit Xhaka (5): Similar to Partey, unable to make a significant impact. * Martin Ødegaard (6): Arsenal’s best player, but lacked the support to create clear chances. * Bukayo Saka (5): Faded after a bright start and gave away the penalty. * Gabriel Martinelli (6): Caused some problems for the Chelsea defense but couldn’t find the breakthrough. * Alexandre Lacazette (5): Isolated up front and unable to make a significant contribution.
