Chelsea vs Newcastle LIVE: Premier League result and final score after stunning Kai Havertz goal
Follow all the latest updates from the first game at Stamford Bridge since Roman Abramovich was sanctioned
A moment from Kai Havertz that displays why we keep coming back to football, in a match that offered so many reasons to stay away.
Procedure insists we must state the scoreline of this match at Stamford Bridge was a late 1-0 win for Chelsea over Newcastle United, but the real significance is not on the table or anything like this. It is what it means for the sport, and society. The wonder is how a fixture like this will be looked back on. What will its place in history be? There were many moments were it barely felt a football match at all, and not just because it was mostly a poor game.
It is difficult not to feel that, just at the point where the Premier League appears to have reached a peak in terms of financial power, this showcased the absolute worst of the sport. So much of it, put bluntly, was so depressing. Follow all the reaction from Chelsea vs Newcastle below and live coverage of Arsenal vs Leicester City:
Surging Arsenal reclaim fourth as Lacazette penalty sees off Leicester
March was always going to be a make of break period for Arsenal’s season. And though with 12 games still to play, it is far from over, there fifth consecutive Premier League victory carried something of note.
Maybe not a statement, for this 2-0 victory over Leicester City was relatively straightforward, along way from the tense affair of last season’s 1-0 defeat at this venue. But certainly, a run that was only matched by Unai Emery’s 22-game unbeaten run in 2018 carries greater promise of riches than that subsequently provided.
Mikel Arteta has been credited with creating an environment where the youth are taking responsibility. On Sunday night, it was the older guard who decided the game. Thomas Partey, aged 28, gave Arsenal a first-half lead with a header from a corner, before 30-year-old Alexandre Lacazette converted a second-half penalty for his first goal on 2022.
Report by Vithushan Ehantharajah at the Emirates
Surging Arsenal reclaim fourth as Alexandre Lacazette penalty sees off Leicester
Arsenal 2-0 Leicester City: The visitors responded well to Thomas Partey’s early header but Lacazette’s second-half penalty settled the contest and sealed a fifth straight win for the Gunners
FULL-TIME: Arsenal 2-0 Leicester
A deserved win for Arsenal, who were excellent at times as they claim their fifth straight win in the Premier League. A great night for Arsenal fans ahead of Wednesday’s huge clash against Liverpool. But it has been a long time since the mood at the Emirates was as positive as this.
Arsenal 2-0 Leicester
92 mins: Ramsdale takes a moment to recover and rising to claim a Leicester cross into the box. Arsenal are almost there and attention will soon turn to Wednesday’s match against Liverpool. What a match that is set to be between two teams on winning runs in the Premier League, with implications on the title and top-four races.
Arsenal 2-0 Leicester
90 mins: There will be five minutes added on as Martin Odegaard is awarded a deserved man-of-the-match award.
Arsenal 2-0 Leicester
88 mins: Nketiah is now on as Lacazette makes way to a great reception. Leicester have been poor since Lacazette’s penalty and have barely troubled Arsenal.
Arsenal 2-0 Leicester
84 mins: And that was close to being a beautiful goal - as Odegaard and Lacazette combined with a flurry of passes before a clipped ball towards the Frenchman was diverted from his path.
Saka gets a break as he is replaced by Pepe.
Arsenal 2-0 Leicester
83 mins: Arsenal are seeing this out with control and composure. Partey and Odegaard have been excellent today and having such good passers in midfield makes such a huge difference.
Arsenal 2-0 Leicester
82 mins: Chance! Xhaka slips in Smith Rowe with a nice pass down the side. The angle was tight as Smith Rowe looked for a gap between Schmeichel’s legs but the Leicester goalkeeper makes the stop.
Arsenal 2-0 Leicester
79 mins: Arsenal are looking comfortable as they see out this two-goal lead. Daka is then booked for bringing down Saka from behind - and there’s a moment of concern as he stays down following the contact on the back of his foot.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments