Five of the best clashes between Arsenal and Chelsea

Ray Parlour

Five of the best clashes between Arsenal and Chelsea

By Peter White

Arsenal’s slim hopes of European qualification via domestic means hinge on Wednesday night’s trip to London neighbours Chelsea, with boss Mikel Arteta desperate to salvage some success from a largely disappointing campaign. 

The Gunners sit ninth in the Premier League table ahead of the 8:15pm kick-off, and while they are just five points behind Liverpool in sixth, the Reds have a game in hand meaning a victory is non-negotiable in order to maintain a bid for continental competition. 

Victories over Newcastle and West Brom either side of last Thursday’s Europa League disappointment against Villarreal mean another three points here could see Arsenal equal their longest Premier League winning streak of the season. 

Arteta’s men are unbeaten in their last five away league games and success at Stamford Bridge would see them complete the league double over Chelsea for the first time since 2003/04, following December’s 3-1 win. 

But the Blues pose a vastly different challenge now under the tutelage of Thomas Tuchel, who has steered the six-time English champions into this season’s FA Cup and Champions League finals since taking over in January. 

Unbeaten in their past eight top-flight home matches in this fixture and fresh from wins over recently-crowned champions Manchester City and European heavyweights Real Madrid, Chelsea are certainly one of the most feared outfits on the planet as things stand. 

With Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari in contention following injury trouble, Arteta will be hoping for a statement win, that would signal the right intentions ahead of next season while going some way to restoring belief among fans that he is the right man to take Arsenal forward. 

The teams’ impending showdown promises plenty of thrills and spills with lots at stake, and as anticipation builds we’ve been reflecting on some of the best meetings between two of English football’s most famous clubs.  

Amidst 202 meetings in all competitions - of which Arsenal have come out on top on 79 occasions - eight-time FA Cup winners Chelsea have proved formidable opponents on several occasions. 

September 15, 1990 - Arsenal 4-1 Chelsea, Division One 

Having romped to the Division One title in 1988/89, Arsenal finished a massive 17 points behind champions Liverpool a year later and had started the following campaign in a similarly understated fashion. 

This thumping win over Chelsea ensured people took notice of their title credentials, however, with Swedish star Anders Limpar scoring one and setting up two. Strikes from David Rocastle and Paul Merson, along with a Lee Dixon penalty, completed the rout. 

The result acted as something of a springboard for George Graham’s men, who went on to regain their league crown with a seven-point cushion. 

May 4, 2002 - Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea, FA Cup 

In the second FA Cup final to be played in Cardiff during the re-building of Wembley, two moments of quality powered Arsenal to glory to dust off the disappointment of defeat to Liverpool a year earlier. 

Freddie Ljungberg became the first man to score in successive Cup finals since Bobby Smith 40 years before, running from halfway to slot past Carlo Cudicini and seal victory following Ray Parlour’s stunning opener. 

Arsenal went on to beat Manchester United a few days later back on Premier League duty to complete their second league and cup double under manager Arsene Wenger.

Robin van Persie 

October 29, 2011 - Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal, Premier League 

Nine years on and Arsenal were looking to continue their good run of form after a poor start to the league had put them on the back foot for Champions League qualification. 

Chelsea - then under the stewardship of Andre Villas-Boas - took a 2-1 lead into half-time thanks to goals from Frank Lampard and John Terry, either side of a Robin van Persie strike. 

Juan Mata looked to have salvaged a draw for the hosts after Andre Santos and Theo Walcott goals had put the Gunners ahead, but talisman van Persie stepped up to complete his hat-trick late on and steer Wenger’s men to their eighth win in nine. 

May 27, 2017 - Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea, FA Cup 

FA Cup victory looked a tall order for Arsenal in 2017, having finished outside of the Champions League places in the Premier League while Wembley opponents Chelsea claimed their sixth - and most recent - crown. 

But the north Londoners burst out of the blocks and took a fourth-minute lead through Alexis Sanchez, with referee Anthony Taylor overruling his assistant who had flagged for offside against Aaron Ramsey. 

Diego Costa equalised despite Victor Moses being sent off in the second half, but Ramsey responded quickly with a thunderous header to guide Arsenal to a record seventh FA Cup win under Wenger. 

August 1, 2020 - Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea, FA Cup 

Fans had to wait until August for last season’s FA Cup final due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it was worth the wait for Arsenal supporters as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang notched a brace to earn the win. 

The Gabon forward had also scored twice in a 2-0 semi-final win over Manchester City and though Christian Pulisic put Chelsea ahead, a foul by Cesar Azpilicueta afforded him the chance to equalise from the penalty spot. 

A great finish in the second half proved enough to down the 10-man Blues, with current boss Arteta enjoying his first major trophy as a manager after succeeding Unai Emery in December 2019.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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