RED HOT ARSENAL
Sanchez, Walcott, Ozil score as Chelsea get the blues
London, Sept. 25: Arsenal gave manager Arsene Wenger a 20th anniversary to remember as Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil scored in a slick 3-0 victory over Chelsea on Saturday.
This week marked 20 years since Wenger’s appointment and whereas Chelsea had spoilt his 1,000th game at the Arsenal helm with a 6-0 win in March 2014, this milestone was memorable for the right reasons.
Arsenal exploited lackadaisical Chelsea defending to score three times in the first half as they claimed a first league win over their London rivals since a 5-3 triumph in October 2011.
It was Arsenal’s biggest league win over Chelsea since Wenger’s first game against them in April 1997 (also 3-0) and their most handsome home victory against the west London club in 26 years.
Chelsea have now gone three league games without a win, slid to eighth, the optimism engendered by their three opening victories now almost a distant memory.
Arsenal went in front in the 11th minute courtesy of an embarrassing error by Gary Cahill that left him hiding his face in his hands.
Forty yards from goal, the England centre-back allowed himself to be robbed by Sanchez, who surged into the box before clipping a lovely finish over Courtois for his fourth goal in three games.
Within three minutes they had another. A slick passing combination culminated in Alex Iwobi intelligently picking out Hector Bellerin on the right-hand side of the box and the Spaniard’s low cross was swept home by Walcott.
Then, Arsenal hit with a clinical counter-attack five minutes before halftime. Ozil threaded a pass wide to Sanchez and then hared into the box to meet the Chilean’s lofted cross with a volley that skidded off the deck and looped over Courtois into the net.