Ian Wright delivers verdict on Arsenal’s victory over Chelsea

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Arsenal legend Ian Wright has delivered his verdict on the Gunners’ magnificent 3-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s charges went into the Emirates Stadium clash with the Blues in poor form, but delivered a superb display to emerge triumphant.

The Arsenal boss opted for a bold starting XI, dropping Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and opting for Alexandre Lacazette up front.

In addition, Arteta went for a youthful attacking midfield three of Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka.

It proved a masterstroke as Arsenal were three goals up by the hour mark, with Tammy Abraham’s 85th-minute response proving little more than a consolation in the end.

Admittedly, Chelsea could have edged to within a goal of parity in injury time, but Jorginho’s penalty was superbly saved by Bernd Leno, who eventually grabbed hold of the ball too.

“They were magnificent,” Wright said about Arsenal on Optus Sport.

“You would have struggled to find Arsenal fans who would have been confident going into this game. The changes, the intensity, everything we said they didn’t have, was evident.

“They rode their luck a bit but I think they deserved the luck they got because of the way they played – with a lot more intensity and forward progression and in the end, we got the result and I’m delighted.”

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Wright’s analysis is spot on – Arsenal were very much in dire straits going into the game, unable to fashion chances, never mind get results, but Arteta’s bold decisions have reaped dividends.

It was the kind of result that could well change the trajectory of the Gunners’ season – not only did they beat a title challenger but did so in style, the team looking energised from its previous outings.