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‘Nothing personal’ as Arsenal flex muscles at the Bridge
By Adam Schultz
Arsenal produced one of their finest performances of the season against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. A 1-0 win thanks to a second-half Gabriel Magalhaes close-range effort secured an impressive win.
“Nothing personal.” That was the big headline throughout the week, and at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal played like it was exactly that: personal.
The line came from former Gunners Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang striker as he was part of a promotion for BT Sport that aired during the week. The former captain said, “Arsenal, nothing personal. I’m back. I’m blue. I’m ready.”
He was far from ready.
‘Nothing personal’ as Arsenal flex muscles at the Bridge
"Nothing personal" from Aubameyang turned into "Nothing" after a stinker there. Eight touches. Nowhere near the level of the team who tore up his contract less than a year ago.
— Mark Mann-Bryans (@MarkyMBryans) November 6, 2022
Defensive duo Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba took Aubameyang out of the game before he even had a chance to make an impact. The 33-year-old only had eight touches before being substituted after just 64 minutes.
The Gabonese forward wasn’t helped by his new teammates upfield. Such was the visitors’ dominance and newfound swagger; Chelsea found it tough to even reach the Gunners’ penalty box, let alone test Aaron Ramsdale.
The 1-0 score line flattered the Blues as it was a clear mismatch. Again, nothing personal.
Having been the whipping boys for Chelsea over the years that have seen some mental scars appear (thanks, Didier Drogba), the tables have now turned.
While Chelsea are in a transition phase, the ease at which Arsenal toyed with them on their home deck was most impressive. The stats tell the story.
NOTHING PERSONAL .. LONDON IS RED ❤️
— Gabriel Magalhaes (@biel_m04) November 6, 2022
Arsenal had 56% possession, outshot Chelsea by 14 shots to five, and dominated the xG battle. At home, the Blues are usually dangerous, but the Gunners rendered them toothless and did it in such a way that now gives the title talk some validity.
Arsenal have already played Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool, and now Chelsea. They won three. Only Manchester City remain.
That’s a far cry from what has happened in years gone by.
While Aubameyang says it wasn’t personal, it was evident from the outset that for the Gunners, it very much was. And they made sure to let the world know post-game, too.