LONDON: Arsenal risk being cut adrift in the Premier League title race after a humiliating 6-0 defeat at leaders Chelsea in Arsene Wenger’s 1,000th match as manager on Saturday.
Wenger described the result as “one of the worst days” of his career and his misery was compounded by handsome victories for Liverpool and Manchester City that saw his side slump to fourth place in the table.
Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick as Liverpool won 6-3 at Cardiff City to move to within four points of Chelsea, while City are two points further back — but with three games in hand — after Yaya Toure also claimed a treble in a 5-0 win over Fulham.
Meanwhile, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney scored an astonishing 58-yard lob in a 2-0 win at West Ham United.
Arsenal are now seven points below Chelsea, albeit with a game in hand, after Wenger’s side were blown away by a flurry of first-half goals from Samuel Eto’o, Andre Schurrle, Eden Hazard and Oscar at Stamford Bridge.
Hazard’s goal came from the penalty spot after Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had handled the ball on the line, but a peculiar case of mistaken identity meant that his team-mate Kieran Gibbs was sent off instead by referee Andre Marriner.
Oscar claimed his second goal in the 66th minute before substitute Mohamed Salah scored to seal the club’s biggest ever win over Arsenal and give manager Jose Mourinho his most emphatic Chelsea success.
“This defeat is my fault. I take full responsibility for it,” said a crestfallen Wenger, who then chose not to attend his post-match press conference. “I don’t think there’s too much need to talk about the mistakes we made. We got a good hiding today.” — AFP