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Impressive Barkley drives Chelsea, Arsenal back mesmerising fans
London: Ross Barkley scored his first goal for Maurizio Sarri’s unbeaten Chelsea to help move them provisionally top of the Premier League in a 3-0 win at Southampton.
Willian had a shot deflected on to the crossbar and Danny Ings missed a golden opportunity from close range at the other end, before Barkley created the opener for Eden Hazard yesterday.
The English midfielder pressed high to win back the ball and set up Hazard, the Premier League top scorer, who netted his seventh of the league season after 30 minutes at St Mary’s.
Barkley, who signed for Chelsea in January from Everton, bundled in the second with his knee from Olivier Giroud’s acrobatic cross although TV replays suggested David Luiz had committed a foul in the build-up.
Hazard played in substitute Alvaro Morata to seal the win in stoppage time.
Barkley’s goal and assist completed a memorable few days for the midfielder, who has just been recalled to the national squad for the games against Croatia and Spain.
The 24-year-old impressed at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield, linking well with Jorginho and Hazard as the home side completed their ninth win in 11 games across all competitions this season.
“Ross Barkley is playing well. He scored and made an assist. He is doing well and working hard on the training ground,” said Hazard.
Although Southampton should have taken a first-half lead through Ings, who blasted over from just a few yards out, they struggled to match Chelsea’s pace and precision.
Ings was lucky to stay on the pitch after a wild second-half challenge on Mateo Kovacic as Southampton, who had six players booked, resorted to increasingly physical methods.
“It’s too early to be thinking about the title, we know it is tough to win,” said Hazard. “But it is good to be up there.
Unai Emery believes Arsenal’s blistering form has restored the bond between the team and their supporters after the Gunners crushed Fulham 5-1 to record the club’s longest winning streak for 11 years.
Emery’s side turned on the style on the banks of the River Thames yesterday, romping to their biggest win of the season as the resurgent Gunners moved into the Premier League’s top four.
Alexandre Lacazette sparked Arsenal’s power surge at Craven Cottage, with his superb second-half strike restoring their lead after Andre Schurrle had cancelled out his opener.
Aaron Ramsey’s audacious back-heeled goal put Arsenal in complete control to cap a stunning move that recalled the club’s finest days under Emery’s predecessor Arsene Wenger.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted twice in the closing stages as Arsenal won six consecutive league matches within a single campaign for the first time since 2016.
It was a significant statement of intent from a team widely written off ahead of Emery’s first season in charge.
“Our performance over the 90 minutes was very important. We worked very hard in the second half to get this result with our momentum on the pitch,” Emery said.
“I believe in us, we believe in our process but also we must keep taking confidence. I think we are in the first part of the war.
“It is very difficult but we must prepare, continue improving and show big commitment.”
Emery was expected to need a long period to revive Arsenal after the depressing final years of the Wenger era.
But the former Paris St Germain boss has helped Arsenal quickly rediscover their verve and struggling Fulham had no answer to their enterprising display.
No wonder jubilant Gunners, crammed into one corner of Craven Cottage celebrated the goal with chants of “We’ve got our Arsenal back”.