Arsenal vs Chelsea LIVE: Result and reaction from London derby as Gunners go back top of Premier League

A match that was less a contest and more a piece of Premier League content. While that does at least serve the idea that the title race is still an open competition, as Arsenal return to the top with two games more played, Chelsea couldn’t really do that for the game itself. It was a 3-1 that could easily have been a 6-0. It was also an occasion that mostly served as a highlight reel for grander themes of the season.

There was some brilliant football from Arsenal, especially in Martin Odegaard’s opening goal, as they recreated some of the thrilling football that got them this far. This may even reignite them now they are released from the pressure of that long build-up to the Manchester City massacre. The worst has happened, so it’s as if the team can just be calm enough to produce their best again. Maybe Mikel Arteta is right, and they can think better can come, that this isn’t over. There is at the very least hope and life.

With Chelsea, there is none of that. You couldn’t even be too definitive on what the worst might actually be. They did rally in a more spirited second half, that at last brought the second goal of this second Frank Lampard era, and the manager can no doubt point to that as some effect.

It’s difficult to really say what the effect of this appointment is, though, beyond more farce. That was what so much of the first half looked like. It could have been very bad. It couldn’t really be called a rivalry.

Frank Lampard is accustomed to the idea of a midfielder wearing the No 8 shirt scoring goals in Chelsea games. It just used to be him, not Martin Odegaard. The chorus of “Super Frank” echoed around the stadium of the team of the league, as it long did. But never previously the Emirates Stadium, and not normally sung mockingly by the Arsenal fans. For Lampard, this was 90 minutes of torment, of schadenfreude. For years, as Didier Drogba destroyed a host of Arsenal centre-backs, Lampard was the support act to the Gunners’ nemesis, the vice-captain of Jose Mourinho’s team who dethroned Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles. Now Chelsea’s achievements in a season of spectacular, surreal incompetence include torching the managerial reputation of arguably their greatest player.

For Lampard, a 14^th defeat in 15 games, interrupted by his sacking by Everton, came with a rarity – a Chelsea goal – but scant other consolation. No one escapes unscathed from this car crash of a campaign and the idea that Lampard had nothing to lose has taken a battering: he is more than half way into his temporary tenure and has a 100 percent record. A sixth match brought a sixth loss. The harrowing, humiliating scenario off an 11-game reign that does not even yield a draw, let alone a victory, remains.

Chelsea can compile different kinds of setbacks. In a sense, losing at home to Brighton and Brentford, third-tier clubs when Lampard was in his prime as a player, represent historic lows. But this was the most comprehensive of their six beatings under Lampard. There were times when Arsenal threatened to exact revenge for their 6-0 thrashing in 2014, when Mikel Arteta was in their midfield and Lampard had lost his place in the Chelsea team. The eventual scoreline flattered the side from west London. The damning reality, though, is that Arsenal now have twice as many points as Chelsea.

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta said: “The first half we were quite passive. We know they are a dangerous team and will bring a lot of people forward but we should’ve done better with the ball.

“In the second half we showed a bit of a reaction, in the first half we were far from there. It’s tough for everybody, we’re not in a good position. The reality is what we have now. We have to go through it.

“We are all disappointed, the fans at the club. We have to take responsability and that’s the only way. It’s very hard, we didn’t expect to be here but that’s where we are. We have five games left, we have to show a positive energy and win games.

“It’s the worst run since I’ve been at the club. We’re the ones playing on the pitch and we have to turn this around. It’s hard for everybody and we have to come through these moments. Off the pitch we have a lot of things to work on.”

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard told Sky Sports: “Especially the first half was brilliant. We came out and showed a different spirit to last time [the 4-1 loss to Manchester City].

“I’m very happy with the first half, the second was a bit messy but three points and a good win and we needed this one.

“Everyone was so hurt after the game [against City]. We used the anger and the disappointment to get back into this game. You can lose games but the way we lost, we didn’t play our game and weren’t ourselves, that was the most painful thing, and we wanted to show a different side and we definitely did.

“I just try to help the team. This year I’ve scored more goals, Granit with two good passes and that made it easier. I just tried to be in the right area and as soon as I see him attacking the space I just have to be in the right place.

“In the second half we didn’t keep the ball ernough. They went a bit more direct and after the duels we didn’t keep the ball. We have to fight and keep going. We believe and will fight until the end.”

Arsenal are now back at the top of the Premier League table with a two point lead over Manchester City. The reigning champions still have two games in hand on the Gunners though and can recover first place with a win over West Ham tomorrow night.

The only thing Arsenal can do now is continue to win and hope that City slip up in the run in.

Arsenal have gone unbeaten in London derbies in a Premier League season for the first time since 2004-05; tonight they also became the first side to win 150 Premier League London derbies.

Gabriel Jesus has now scored in 55 Premier League matches and never ended on the losing side when doing so (W50 D5) – this is the most times a player has scored in a game in the competition without ever losing, surpassing James Milner (54).

Frank Lampard has now lost each of the last 10 matches he’s taken charge of across all competitions – he is the first manager to lose 10 in a row in the same season while in charge of a Premier League team since Mick McCarthy in December 2005 with Sunderland.

Chelsea found themselves three goals down at half time in a Premier League London derby for only the second time, with the previous occasion also coming against Arsenal at the Emirates (3-0 down in September 2016).