Sports Desk, May 2 (EFE).- Arsenal moved back ahead of defending champions Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title Tuesday with a resounding 3-1 victory against a poor Chelsea side.
The Gunners improved to 78 points, 2 better than their rivals, but City have two games in hand and can reclaim first place with a win Wednesday against 15th-place West Ham United.
With four straight defeats in the Premier League for the first time in 25 years, Chelsea are 12th in the table with 39 points and will need a quick turnaround to avoid posting their worst season since 2003-2004.
The Blues have lost six games in a row in all competitions since club legend Frank Lampard returned for a second stint as manager in the wake of the firing of Graham Potter.
Chelsea nearly went behind in the 4th minute at the Etihad, as Cesar Azpilicueta’s failed header put the ball in the path of Granit Xhaka, forcing goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to come off his line to snuff out the threat.
Kepa made a good stop against Gabriel Jesus in the 15th minute, but could do nothing when the ball came to an unmarked Martin Odegaard and the Arsenal captain put his team up 1-0.
The Norwegian made it 2-0 in the 31st with his second goal of the night and 14th of the season, assisted again by Xhaka. And the 3-0 materialized just three minutes later, as Jesus scored on the rebound after Kepa stopped efforts from Gabriel and Xhaka.
Kepa produced four more saves in the second half and Noni Madueke, in only his seventh appearance for Chelsea, salvaged some honor for the club with a goal in the 65th minute, his first in the Premier League.
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