London is Red: Arsenal reclaim top spot with Chelsea win as Aubameyang struggles

Arsenal reclaimed top spot in the Premier League as they beat Chelsea and denied Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a dream reunion with his former side.

The Gunners had fallen behind Manchester City following their dramatic win over Fulham on Saturday but underlined their title credentials with a mature display at Stamford Bridge. Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes gave the Gunners a deserved second-half lead as he converted from close range following Bukayo Saka’s cross.

Heading into the showdown at Stamford Bridge, there was of course plenty of talk surrounding Aubameyang’s reunion with his former club. The Gabonese attempted to stir the tension ahead of the clash with a few choice words. That – coupled with his somewhat acrimonious exit from the Emirates Stadium – saw him receive loud boos from the away end.

Unfortunately for Aubameyang, he really struggled to have an impact on the game and display the lethal goalscoring instincts that were regularly on dissplay across the capital. He was eventually withdrawn midway through the second-half in place of Armando Broja.

Loser Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang endured a miserable time of things against Arsenal ( Image: Getty Images)
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Whilst Arsenal boss Arteta assured reporters that he only wanted to focus on his side instead of Aubameyang ahead of the game, he had no choice but to put his focus on the Gabonese midway during the first-half. The former Barcelona striker produced a crunching tackled on Gunners’ defender Ben White – leaving him sprawled on the floor.

Referee Michael Oliver very quickly brandished a yellow card for Aubameyang but that did nothing to cool Arteta’s mood as he was left apopleptic at the tackle.

The Spaniard continued to cut a stormy figure throughout the game and remonstrated with the fourth official after Bukayo Saka was booked for a foul on Marc Cucurella. His mood will no doubt have improved after seeing his side hit the front after the break and hold onto what could be a vital three points.

In all honesty, there was a real lack of goal-mouth action throughout the game but that does not mean there was a lack of competitiveness.

During the 90 minutes, a vast number of heavy challenges were flying in from both sides – potentially indicating how much of an evenkeel both sides are currently on. Throughout the match, there was 31 free-kicks awarded with all of Cesar Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Saka and Aubameyang all receiving bookings.

The stop-start nature of the game certainly made it tough for each side to build momentum so Arsenal must be credited for finding a route through to goal in an extremely bitty affair.

Chelsea are currently in the doldrums of a defensive injury crisis with the likes of Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Wesley Fofana all restricted to the sidelines – and that appears to be a major reason behind their struggles.

After shipping four at Brighton last time out, the Blues’ backline did not cover itself in glory for Gabriel’s opener. Saka’s cross somehow managed to find its way through a clutch of Chelsea players before finding its way to the unmarked Brazilian – who had the simple task of firing home unchallenged.

Graham Potter certainly has his work cut out in tightening up a defence that has looked lost at sea for weeks.