Chelsea Football Club suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Arsenal in a London derby thrashing at the Emirates Stadium. The absence of top scorer Cole Palmer, who was a pre-match doubt due to illness, proved to be a significant factor as Chelsea were unable to mount a meaningful challenge against a rampant Arsenal side.
As Pochettino had suggested, the prospect of facing the Premier League leaders without Palmer was a chance for the rest of the Chelsea squad to prove their worth. However, the Blues were utterly incapable of rising to the challenge and returned to their lowly status as mid-table fodder.
Arsenal took the lead inside five minutes through Leandro Trossard and never looked back. Kai Havertz, who flourished as a false nine for the Gunners, scored twice against his former club, while Declan Rice and Eddie Nketiah added further goals to complete the rout.
Chelsea’s defence, which featured academy graduate Alfie Gilchrist and a £200m midfield pairing of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, was in shambles. Fernandez and Caicedo were blitzed by Arsenal’s press, while Disasi was a disaster and Badiashile has now conceded 21 goals in seven starts.
Without Palmer, Chelsea lacked any kind of leadership or attacking threat. Conor Gallagher, the captain of the sinking ship, failed to inspire his teammates, and new signing Mykhailo Mudryk was a fittingly anonymous presence.
The defeat raises serious questions about Chelsea’s squad depth and the impact of recent signings. The Blues are now left to ponder their future without Palmer, who has been their only consistent source of goals and inspiration this season.
