Have Arsenal turned this into a race for two CL places?

An unusual evening at Stamford Bridge ended with a crucial win for Arsenal and a superb performance from the man who replaced their captain.

It was a strange evening at Stamford Bridge, of empty seats, slightly unusual team selections and two flawed sides in different states of uncertainty. They played out a match that was entertaining for the neutral, even if it frayed the nerves of those with an emotional involvement. And when the dust had settled on it all, Arsenal could reflect upon a rediscovery of the art of scoring goals, as well as three extremely valuable points to draw them level with Spurs in the race for fourth place. Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, will have questions concerning an oddly lifeless performance.

A reminder of the horrific world of 2022 was visible at Stamford Bridge throughout the evening. Everybody knows the reason for it, but it remains strange to see big gaps in the crowd for a match of such significance. It shouldn’t be long before the winning bidder for the club is confirmed and that can become a thing of the past again.

Team selection-wise, both coaches made peculiar decisions. Romelu Lukaku started for Chelsea, who left Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech on the bench. Arsenal jettisoned captain Alexandre Lacazette in favour of Eddie Nketiah. It was a decision on Arteta’s part that seemed to breathe fresh air into his side’s attack. Alongside a sparkling performance from Emile Smith Rowe, it pointed a potential path to how Arsenal can resolve their ongoing goalscoring issues.

The evening’s feel of very mild other-worldliness extended throughout much of the first half. Within 20 minutes, both teams had taken advantage of the other’s defensive generosity. Andreas Christensen hopelessly under-hit a