Get your popcorn ready, folks, because we have another spicy football match on our hands. Arsenal, who have not won a single game in four Premier League matches and still stinging from their humiliating defeat by Manchester City just a few days ago, are hosting Chelsea. And guess what? It’s seven years to the day since Eden Hazard crushed Tottenham’s spirits in what the media later dubbed ‘The Battle of the Bridge’. Could Arsenal suffer the same fate?
Chelsea love nothing more than to smash their rivals’ dreams to smithereens. Although they didn’t win any titles themselves, they at least endeared themselves to their fans by making Spurs draw 2-2 in May 2016. In 2014, they travelled to Anfield and made Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard cry when they beat them and put an end to their 11-game winning streak, paving the way for Manchester City to claim the Premier League title. “They want us to be the clowns in the circus,” José Mourinho had told his players before the game. He sure knows how to stir up some fun, doesn’t he?
But Arsenal supporters need not worry. They only had some faded memories of Chelsea to worry about, not the shambolic reality that unfolded on Tuesday. Frank Lampard’s team did not come to play, and the first 45 minutes were downright terrible. To add to their misery, Martin Odegaard scored an eerily identical goal twice, and Gabriel Jesus added a third goal after a calamitous scramble in the six-yard box. Lampard was not impressed by how ‘nice’ his team played or how passively they behaved without the ball. Arsenal had a field day.
Arsenal may have blown some leads recently, but they weren’t worried about Chelsea. Some weeks ago, Brentford, who had not won any of their previous six Premier League matches, travelled to Stamford Bridge and gave Chelsea a run for their money. Chelsea has now established themselves as the remedy for any team suffering from a crisis of confidence except themselves. Lampard mixed things up a bit, but it didn’t go according to plan. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang only touched the ball nine times (four times were for kick-offs) and was subbed at half-time. The only player to impress Lampard was Noni Madueke, who scored his first goal for the club. But that was only after Arsenal had grown so comfortable that they were complacent in their lead.
Chelsea’s lack of cohesiveness was painfully obvious in the first half. Madueke handed the ball to Kante, who passed it back immediately, leaving Madueke frustrated. Then Raheem Sterling brilliantly outsmarted Ben White, advanced into the Arsenal half but played a pass behind Ben Chilwell, who was sprinting ahead without looking. Chilwell’s shot was the only good save of the match for Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale before the Chelsea defense caved in. Arsenal fans sang “Super Frankie Lampard” behind the dugouts as lampard just stood there with a face like a thunder cloud. Chelsea were in dire straits in the second half, and the home fans clapped back with derisive laughter as the visitors fumbled their counter-attacks. It’s the exact opposite of what Arsenal fans felt just a few weeks ago.
Lampard had a lot to say after the match, mainly that his team could not execute the basics and that their fitness level was lacking. It’s alarming that he couldn’t find 11 players, given almost a week to work with, who were prepared to play a complete and competitive 90-minute match. The lack of motivation, chemistry, and confidence meant that Chelsea went from being the most disappointing team in the Premier League to merely being the worst. If Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter had not accumulated over 39 Premier League points between August and April, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, the club’s co-owners, might have had to consider a third change in coaching staff to avoid the ridiculous possibility of relegation to the Championship.
The co-owners (who are rarely seen these days) must surely understand the part they played in the mess that Chelsea is in, and they must act fast to get some fresh talent before the summer break. They still have an opportunity to derail Manchester City’s title hopes on May 21, but let’s face it; they’re more likely to end up as the punchlines of a joke.

Serious News: nytimes