Chelsea 3 Robin’s Arsenal 5
Lampard 14, Van Persie 36, Terry 45, Santos 48, Walcott 55, Mata 80, Van Persie 85, Van Persie 92
HT : 2-1
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Talk about Tales of the Unexpected!
Gervinho, Ramsey, Koscielny and RVP were excellent in a crazy game at Stamford Bridge.
Mata’s strike to make it 3-3 was the finest shot in a bizarre match of mistakes, goals, and ridiculously bad defending by both teams.
I’ve never seen a goal like Walcott’s in my life. He’s fouled, falls down, has time to get up with no defender anywhere near him, race into the box and blast a right-foot shot inside Cech’s near post.
That made it 3-2 to Arsenal and it took Chelsea 15 minutes to equalise. Ramires won a lot of 50-50 balls but Torres and Sturridge had been garbage and Arsenal were playing round them with amazing ease, as both teams defended with a high line.
It was remarkable to see Aaron Ramsey turn Ashley Cole inside out in the box and fire a cross that hit the leg of Cech. Ashley Cole has been, for a decade, one of the most agile, resourceful and combative footballers we’ve ever seen.
But the kid took him apart inside the penalty area. Ramsey, a brainy player, had a stormer, making good runs beyond the Chelsea back four.
I thought Villas-Boas had a bad game.
Didn’t like the imbalanced team he picked. Mereiles should have come on much sooner.
A sloppy backpass by Malouda dropped JT in it, allowing Van Persie to slalom round Cech in the D and make it 4-3 and four minutes later, with the game hugely stretched, the Dutchman hammered a thunderbolt past Cech for his hat-trick.
This is the first time Chelsea have ever conceded five goals at home in the Premier League.
What were the odds on Arsenal scoring five here?
So Wenger’s defiance at the AGM seems to have been vindicated by Arsenal’s best victory of the season and their first away league win in nine games.
Marseille, are you watching?
This in haste, off the top of my head.
What does all this mean? I don’t know. I’m still gobsmacked by having watched a defenceless derby.
More tomorrow.Have an exciting weekend !