Arsenal – Chelsea

1. Join us at 1600 BST in the race for third place as Arsenal host Chelsea, who will be fired up after their midweek defeat to Barcelona.

2. Hi everyone and welcome to the game for third place. The teams are coming out and Drogba starts for Chelsea.

3. For Arsenal, it's Fabregas up front with Van Persie and Adebayor takes a rest on the bench.

4. So, all is set and the Emirates, or 'The Graveyard of European Dreams' as I like to call it, looks resplendent. Fewer flags around than Tuesday mind.

5. 1'

   Arsenal on attack already. Great one-two and Walcott gets half and chance to score. Blazes it over though.

6. 1'

   He scored his first ever Arsenal goal against Chelsea in the Carling Cup final. Nearly got another one there.

7. 1'

   Walcott has had a few early touches and is now fouled by Ashley Cole. Cue the chorus of boos.

8. 2'

   Arsenal with all the possession at the moment, Gibbs launches it up but Van Persie is caught offside.

9. 2'

   Both lineups are pretty much the strongest you could hope for, maybe with a few exceptions. Both teams seem pretty up for this one as they'll fancy the automatic third UCL place.

10. 3'

    Drogba is knocked off the ball. No cries of 'disgrace' yet, which we thought there might be.

11. 4'

    Great ball in from Fabregas and Alex gets across Van Persie to knock the ball out for a corner.

12. 4'

    No-one was marking the back post from the corner. Song and Silvestre were there, but the ball floats over the top.

13. 6'

    Van Persie swings in another corner but Cech is out to claim this one. Decent start from Arsenal.

14. 7'

    Nasri gets through but chooses not to hit first time and instead flick the ball wide, allowing ALex to get in and clear.

15. 8'

    Superb ball inside Cole from Nasri and Walcott tries an ambitious one with the outside of his boot from a narrow angle and Cech parries behind.

16. 9'

    Another speedy move down the right from Arsenal but Sagna's cross is claimed by Cech.

17. 10'

    First effort from Chelsea comes with a Lampard shot, but it was on his weaker left side and was never troubling the 'keeper.

18. 12'

    Arsenal should be one up, Nasri wide for Walcott, a low cross to Diaby, who fluffs his shot from 12 yards out. Terrible miss after lovely approach play.

19. 14'

    Another silky move from the Gunners as Nasri slides in Fabregas and though he took the ball away from Alex, Petr Cech was quick off the mark to claim the ball at Cesc's feet.

20. 16'

    Arsenal are running Chelsea ragged here, with Nasri pulling the strings. He finds Walcott who threads one across the face of goal, Sagna is first to it but his ball looking for Fabregas was cut out by Cole.

21. 18'

    A great run from Diaby bamboozles Alex before he crosses and Walcott gets a great connection but the ball curls wide of the post.

22. 20'

    Lampard knocks one over the top for Anelka to chase but Silvestre is across.

23. 21'

    Chelsea should be one up now! Drogba's flick released Cole, he cut it back for Malouda and his shot is not well hit and Gibbs clears before Fabianski can make the save.

24. 22'

    I can't be long before we see the first goal, both sides look like scoring every time they pour forward.

25. 24'

    Song has missed a great chance. Fabregas' free kick was nodded into the air, Diaby brought it down and Song hit it wide on the spin from seven yards out.

26. 26'

    Walcott sticks a hand in Cole's face but completely unintentionally. The home fans liked that though, and roar their approval.

27. 27'

    Fabregas gets a yellow card after Drogba goes down very easily (shock horror), then he's booked perhaps for making the diving gesture towards ref Phil Dowd.

28. 28'

    Goal! Alex!

29. 28'

    Drogba swings in a free kick, Alex beats Silvestre in the air and the ball goes in off the bar. Super header.

30. 29'

    Arsenal only have themselves to blame. They've been dominant but profligate in front of goal, then they switch off at the back from a set piece and go one down.

31. 30'

    It was very nearly two, Terry hits a ball over the top for Malouda who bears down on Fabianski before slipping it sideways in the direction of Drogba but Toure is there.

32. 32'

    Fabregas has his heart in his mouth as he pulls down Malouda. He just gets a stern telling off, though it would definitely been a booking if he hadn't already been carded.

33. 34'

    Fabregas finds Walcott on the gallop, he tries to cut inside Cole in the area, then slips, and as Cole tried to shepherd it back to Cech Van Persie nips in and nearly profits. A strange one.

34. 36'

    Off the line by Bosingwa! Again Fabregas gets in down the right and fires the ball across and Van Persie gets a little touch on it before the Portuguese fullback hacks it away.

35. 39'

    GOAL! Anelka!

36. 39'

    Anelka picks up the ball near the centre circle, turns and runs into space and then lashes a swerving shot into the bottom corner.

37. 40'

    Arsene Wenger looks sick as a dog. His side could have scored four, instead they are two down.

38. 41'

    Malouda turns in the box and tries to get a shot off but Toure had him covered - just.

39. 42'

    Another chance for Walcott as Van Persie wriggles free from Terry, but his shot is well wide.

40. 44'

    Fabregas swings in a cross but one has to wonder, what is the point? I mean, who is going to rise like a salmon and nod it into the net? Walcott? Van Persie? Nasri? I don't think so.

41. 45'

    Anelka should have made it three. He hit it left-footed from 14 yards out after Malouda had been tackled by Toure and the ball broke free. A poor attempt at a finish. Arsenal dominant, Chelsea clinical. Half time.

42. 46'

    We begin again..

43. 47'

    Anelka bursts down the right and sends in a cross but it is too deep for Drogba.

44. 49'

    GOAL! Toure own goal!

45. 49'

    Cole gets behind Walcott and crosses and as Toure tries to prevent it getting to Drogba he ends up taking it past Fabianski and into his own net.

46. 51'

    Great chance for Van Persie to cut the arrears immediately as he goes through on goal before cutting in on his left and forcing Cech into a decent low save.

47. 52'

    Well, it just goes from bad to worse for Arsenal. They've been decent going forward but wasteful, and all over the shop at the back.

48. 54'

    Difficult chance for Fabregas as Walcott flashed a ball across the area, he hit it on the volley and tried to pass it in but blazes the ball over under pressure from Essien.

49. 56'

    Van Persie has a pop from outside the box after Alex cleared Walcott's cross. Not that there were any red shirts in there to try and meet it.

50. 57'

    Great chance for Walcott as he recieves a ball in space at the back post. First touch great, second touch not so much as he blasts it wide of the far post. Walcott alone could have had four goals today.

51. 58'

    Oh goody Arsenal fans, Nicklas Bendtner is coming on, and it looks as if his shorts are firmly wedged around his waist, not his ankles. Diaby makes way.

52. 60'

    Drogba has a go from 45 yards after spotting Fabianski marginally off his line. It goes wide.

53. 62'

    It really isn't Walcott's day. He goes clear in the right channel again but hesitates too long and Mikel nips back to tidy up.

54. 64'

    Bosingwa blasts one over as Chelsea broke speedily, Cole's cross found its way to the Portuguese and his half volley was always rising.

55. 66'

    Bosingwa has another go and makes a right hash of it.

56. 67'

    Denilson and Walcott make way as Adebayor and Song come on. Luke warm receptions for all.

57. 68'

    Bit of argy bargy between Lampard and Fabregas and the Chelsea man fouled the Arsenal player. A little kick from Fab draws some finger pointing from Lamps and a bit of swearing all round.

58. 69'

    Malouda falls over the ball inside the area as he ran at Toure and Gibbs.

59. 70'

    GOAL! Bendtner!

60. 70'

    A decent cross from Sagna, a good leap from Bendtner and a precise header.

61. 71'

    Adebayor finds space on the left before Bendtner passes right to Terry. That's more like the Bendtner we know.

62. 72'

    Lampard smashes a free kick over the bar.

63. 73'

    Bendtner meets another Sagna cross but his header was a little weak, if well directed. Cech saves.

64. 75'

    Adebayor goes down very cheaply inside the area under minimal contact from Bosingwa and Phil Dowd says a curt no.

65. 77'

    Chelsea change; Ivanovic for Bosingwa.

66. 78'

    Another chance from a Nasri cross, as Van Persie's header is saved by Cech.

67. 80'

    Fabregas swings in a cross this time but Cech claims before Adebayor gets there.

68. 82'

    Bendtner finds Nasri and he cuts in to shoot but Cole blocks behind for a corner.

69. 83'

    A right old scramble in the area as Toure crosses, then Cech saves from Silvestre before Gibbs smashes one over.

70. 85'

    Adebayor goes through and beats Cech to the ball, but the ref denies Arsenal a penalty, largely because there was no contact.

71. 86'

    GOAL! Malouda!

72. 86'

    Malouda is put through by Lampard and Fabianski saves his first effort, then Anelka's follow-up hits the post and falls at the feet of Malouda who makes no mistake.

73. 87'

    Arsenal can't believe it and thousands of fans head for the exits. Ballack, the original ref harasser, is on for Malouda.

74. 89'

    What a way for Chelsea to bounce back from the disappointment of Barcelona. Arsenal's misery continues.

75. 90'

    Two minutes added.

76. 92'

    That's that and Chelsea record their biggest away win at Arsenal for 40 years. Arsenal complete a week to forget with another home thumping, while the Blues have all but wrapped up third spot in the league and automatic qualification for the Champions League group stages. Bye for now.

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