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Arsenal's young brigade stuns Chelsea to seal 4-2 win

The result intensifies the race for the coveted fourth Champions League spot

SOCCER-ENGLAND-CHE-ARS/REPORT Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah fires a shot past Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for his second goal of the EPL clash between the sides at Stamford Bridge | Reuters

Arsenal's youngsters Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka shone brightest as their team stunned London rivals Chelsea with a 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge.

The attacking trio were all on the scoresheet, with Nketiah bagging a brace. The result throws open the race for the coveted fourth place in the English Premier League—a three-way battle between Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United.

Manchester City and Liverpool are locked in a tight battle for the title, and Chelsea are comfortably lodged in third place.

It was a dominant performance from the Gunners from start to finish despite the absence of Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney. Chelsea, on the other hand, continue to founder at home, losing their third consecutive match at home across competitions.

Despite Chelsea commanding a lion's share of the possession (68 per cent) and superior pass accuracy, the Blues were found lacking in the final third as club-record signing Romelu Lukaku continues to fire blanks.

It was blow-for-blow in the first half as Nketiah opened the scoring in the 13th minute—he pounced on a wayward backpass from Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen—before Timo Werner brought parity to the game four minutes later.

Smith Rowe would be the next to pull Arsenal clear in the 27th minute, only for Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta to find the net five minutes later from a Mason Mount cross.

The second half was all Arsenal despite the immense pressure from Chelsea as Nketiah grabbed his second of the game and Saka sealed the tie with a penalty in stoppage time.

Arsenal will next face Manchester United on Saturday in yet another crucial fixture in the top-four race.

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