Arsenal's Premier League title hopes were left in tatters on Saturday as they were beaten 6-0 away to Chelsea.
Samuel Eto'o fired the hosts into an early lead, before Andre Schurrle doubled their advantage soon after.
There was huge controversy on 17 minutes as Kieran Gibbs was mistakenly sent off for handling on the line when it was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who committed the offence. Eden Hazard stepped up to take the resulting penalty and made it 3-0.
Chelsea grabbed another through Oscar three minutes before half time, while the Brazilian and Mohamed Salah completed the rout after the break.
Read Sports Mole's minute-by-minute report below to find out how all of the action unfolded at Stamford Bridge.
11.45amHello there and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of this afternoon's Premier League encounter between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. What a game this promises to be. We should have team news through for you shortly.
11.48amAs we enter the final straight of the season it is days like today that will shape the title race. Chelsea can temporarily go seven points clear with a win this afternoon, but victory for Arsenal would see the Gunners put themselves right back in the mix.
11.51amToday is also hugely significant from an Arsenal perspective as Arsene Wenger takes charge for his 1000th game. The Frenchman has revolutionised English football, and what more of a fitting tribute would it be for him to get one over on Jose Mourinho and Chelsea this afternoon?
11.53amARSENAL: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud
11.54amARSENAL SUBS: Fabianski, Vermaelen, Jenkinson, Flamini, Kallstrom, Sanogo, Gnabry
11.57amArsene Wenger has named exactly the same XI that beat Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane last weekend. Kim Kallstrom is among the substitutes following his loan move from Spartak Moscow in January. The Swede has been out of action for the past two months because of injury.
11.59amCHELSEA: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, David Luiz; Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard; Eto'o
12pmCHELSEA SUBS: Schwarzer, Kalas, Mikel, Lampard, Salah, Ba, Torres
12.02pmChelsea boss Jose Mourinho makes three changes to his side following Tuesday's win over Galatasaray in the Champions League last 16. Nemanja Matic, David Luiz and Andre Schurrle have all been given the nod, while Ramires and Willian both miss out through suspension. Frank Lampard has to settle for a place on the bench.
12.05pm
6 - Arsenal have won their last six Premier League away games in London, including all four this season. Neighbours.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 22, 201412.08pmAs you might imagine, the tributes have been pouring in for Arsene Wenger this week ahead of his 1000th game as Arsenal manager. Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson even had some kind words for his old adversary:
"I congratulate Arsene in reaching this momentous landmark. Having also reached the same milestone at one club, I cannot emphasise enough the level of dedication, resilience as well as sacrifice required and for that I have for the utmost admiration.
"Over the years we enjoyed some fantastic battles and you could say we had survived together and respected each other's efforts to play good football. I always enjoy watching Arsene's sides – Arsenal play the right way. Playing against them always presented special challenges that I burned many hours over the years thinking about.
"He has always been a conscientious member of our trade who makes it his business to help other managers. Perhaps the biggest compliment I could give Arsene is that I could never be anything other than competitive with my rival for 17 years.
"Overall this achievement once again shows what stability can bring to a football club and without doubt he has created a permanent legacy during his 1000 matches with the club."
12.10pmThe good ship Sports Mole has even had its say on the Frenchman's legacy. You can read our profile on Wenger's tenure at Arsenal right here.
12.13pmDespite this being a day to celebrate the achievements of Wenger, there can be no shying away from the fact that Arsenal need to win today if they want to keep their Premier League title hopes alive. For Chelsea, a victory would mean a step closer to lifting the trophy in May.
12.15pm
10 - Jose Mourinho has never lost against Arsene Wenger as an opposition manager (W5 D5 L0 in all comps). Nemesis.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 22, 201412.18pmHEAD TO HEAD: It's Arsenal who have the better record when it comes to past meetings between these teams, winning 66 matches compared to Chelsea's 53. There have also been 48 draws. The bad news for the Gunners is that they haven't beaten the Blues in their last five games. Their previous victory over Chelsea came back in October 2011 when they won 503 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.
12.21pmChelsea and Arsenal have already played each other twice this season, once in the Premier League and once in the League Cup. The teams drew 0-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the league back in December following a 2-0 win for Chelsea at the same venue in the League Cup in October.
12.24pmRECENT FORM IN ALL COMPETITIONS:
CHELSEA: WDWWLW
ARSENAL: LWLWDW
12.27pmPREDICTION TIME: How do you see this one going? We here at Sports Mole reckon there will be plenty of goals this afternoon, just none of them for Arsenal. Yep, we can see Chelsea coming out on top 3-0 today and strengthening their grip on the Premier League title.
12.30pm
502 - Arsene Wenger has taken charge of 502 competitive matches at Arsenal since they last won a major trophy. Frustration.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 21, 201412.33pmJust over 10 minutes until this one gets underway and Stamford Bridge is filling up nicely. There is sure to be an electric atmosphere inside the stadium this afternoon as these two local rivals face up to each other. For the record, it's a bright day in West London - decent conditions for what we hope will be a riveting contest.
12.36pmREFEREE WATCH: The man with the important task of refereeing today's game is Andre Marriner.
12.40pmBoth sets of players are gradually emerging in the tunnel, with plenty of intense and focused looks on their faces. This fixture is always a big one, but there's an added element to it this afternoon because of what's at stake.
1 minKICKOFF! The teams are out, the pre-match handshakes have been done and it will be Chelsea to get us underway. Here we go!
4 minIt's been a busy start to this match, with both teams showing plenty of attacking intent. One moment of danger sees Szczesny come off his line quickly to beat Eto'o to the ball. Arsenal then go up the other ends and almost open the scoring when Giroud's low effort is pushed away by Cech.
4 minGOAL! CHELSEA 1-0 ARSENAL (ETO'O)
4 minWhat a brilliant goal from Samuel Eto'o to give Chelsea the lead! The veteran striker receives the ball just inside the Arsenal penalty before shifting it onto his left foot. He then curls a superb effort beyond the fingertips on Szczesny and into the far corner. First blood to the Premier League leaders.
6 minGOAL! CHELSEA 2-0 ARSENAL (SCHURRLE)
6 minWow! Chelsea get a second goal almost instantly and it's another fine strike, this time from Andre Schurrle. The Blues launch forward on the counter-attack with pace before the German shoots into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. What an incredible start to this game. Needless to say, Arsene Wenger looks miserable as sin on the touchline.
9 minSUBSTITUTION: It's bad news for Chelsea now as Samuel Eto'o is forced off with what looks like a hamstring complaint. Fernando Torres is on in his place.
12 minChelsea are firmly in control at the moment as Arsenal struggle to find their rhythm. The Gunners have been well below par in terms of their passing and general alertness. They're looking a bit shell-shocked right now, and who can blame them?
14 minPENALTY TO CHELSEA!
16 minRED CARD! KIERAN GIBBS (ARSENAL)
16 minGOAL! CHELSEA 3-0 ARSENAL (HAZARD, PENALTY)
16 minWhat on earth has just happened? Chelsea are awarded a penalty after Schurrle's shot was handled on the line by Oxlade-Chamberlain. However, referee Andre Marriner sends off Gibbs instead what can only be a case of mistaken identity. Remarkable. Hazard then steps up and places the penalty past Szczesny to put Chelsea 3-0 up. It's all going so terribly wrong for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal.
19 minIt's very difficult to see how Arsenal can find a way back into this match now with 10 men. At 2-0 you would have given them a slim chance of snatching something from the game, but now it looks impossible. It could just be a case of damage limitation now for the Gunners, who are failing to cause Chelsea any problems at the moment.
21 min
1 - Chelsea have only failed to win one of the 127 Premier League games that they've led by 3+ goals (3-3 v Man Utd in Feb 2012). Over.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 22, 201423 minSUBSTITUTION: Arsenal make a tactical change now as Thomas Vermaelen enters the action in place of Lukas Podolski. The Gunners are flat as a pancake right now.
26 minThe Chelsea players are really enjoying themselves out there as they take advantage of their extra man. Luiz sees his powerful effort from 20 yards blocked by the Arsenal defence before Oscar's dangerous cross is headed clear. The hosts are starting to set up camp in the opposition half.
29 minSAVE! Nearly a fourth for Chelsea as Luiz is allowed to run and run towards goal before hitting a low shot towards the bottom corner. However, Szczesny does really well to get down low and push the ball away for a corner, which the hosts fail to make anything of.
32 minIt's hard to remember the last time that Arsenal ventured into Chelsea's half, such is the home side's dominance. There is absolutely no urgency from the Gunners. It's a sad state of affairs considering that this is Wenger's 1000th game in charge. The Frenchman deserves better than this from his players.
35 minTen minutes left to play in this first half and it's still Chelsea who are controlling things out on the pitch. Arsenal are starting to show a bit more ambition going forward, but they will need something very special to turn this into a contest. Sagna gets the ball out on the right side, though he can only launch a poor cross out for a goal kick.
38 minNot a bad effort from Schurrle there as he shows good control on the edge of the box before seeing his low drive well held by Szczesny. It's almost like shooting practice for Chelsea out there. Credit to the Arsenal fans, they're still singing loud and proud in the away end.
41 minGOAL! CHELSEA 4-0 ARSENAL (OSCAR)
41 minThat really is game over as Chelsea bag their fourth goal of the afternoon through Oscar. Torres was set free down the right before surging into the box and delivering a cross for the Brazilian to tap in from close range. That was just too easy for the hosts.
45 minArsenal create a decent opening as Giroud receives the ball about 15 yards from goal, but the Frenchman's low shot goes wide of the goal. There will be three minutes of added time.
45+3 minHALF TIME: CHELSEA 4-0 ARSENAL
1.35pmWell, that an incredible half that was. Arsenal's title hopes are fading fast at Stamford Bridge as they trail Chelsea 4-0. Not only that, but the Gunners are down to 10 men after Kieran Gibbs was mistakenly sent off by referee Andre Marriner.
1.38pmMarriner was clearly in the wrong when he sent off Gibbs instead of Oxlade-Chamberlain, though his performance should not mask the fact that Arsenal have been woeful so far. What can Arsene Wenger say to his players during the break to lift their spirits. He needs to say something because this could become an absolute thrashing by the end of the afternoon.
1.40pm
4 - This is only the third time in Premier League history that Arsenal have conceded 4+ goals in the first half of a game. Steamrollered.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 22, 20141.43pmFrom Chelsea's point of view this is a brilliant response to last weekend's defeat at Aston Villa. Even before Gibbs was sent off the Blues looked very dominant indeed and they have only gone from strength to strength.
46 minSECOND HALF UNDERWAY! The teams are back out and it will be Arsenal to kick us off for the second half. The Gunners have also made a couple of changes with Mathieu Flamini and Carl Jenkinson replacing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Laurent Koscielny.
47 minCHANCE! An early opening for Chelsea there as Luiz smashes the ball from close range straight at Szczesny. The Arsenal goalkeeper didn't know a great deal about that but he did well to keep the Brazilian's shot out.
50 minChelsea are playing at pretty much the same pace as they did in the first half - a leisurely one. It's a shame from a neutral's perspective because this match is simply not competitive.
52 minYELLOW CARD! Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky goes into the book for chopping down Azpilicueta. In terms of how the visitors have performed, the Czech has been one of the brighter sparks.
55 minThis is better from Arsenal. They haven't created any chances so far in this second half but they're starting to show a bit more in the way of ambition. The manage to win their first corner of the match, though it comes to nothing as Cazorla's poor delivery is cleared by the hosts.
58 minThe Gunners are now playing with a pretty high defensive line, which could mean trouble if Chelsea go on the counter-attack. Jose Mourinho's side are so quick on the break as they've already proven this afternoon. Arsenal definitely feel like they've got a goal in them though.
60 minCHANCE! Close for Arsenal as some neat build-up play finds Cazorla on the angle, but his low effort flies narrowly wide of the far post. Thirty minutes left to play at Stamford Bridge and it's starting to turn into a contest.
63 minCHANCE! Now it's Chelsea's turn to threaten, with Oscar shooting over the crossbar. The Brazilian took aim from the edge of the box, though he got under the ball a bit too much. It would be a surprise if there aren't any more goals in this match. Both teams showing plenty of attacking intent now.
65 minGOAL! CHELSEA 5-0 ARSENAL (OSCAR)
65 minChelsea get their fifth, though Szczesny should really have done better there. Oscar lets fly from outside of the area but his low shot bobbles over the arm of the Arsenal goalkeeper and finds the net. That's the Brazilian's last involvement as he is replaced by Mohamed Salah.
69 minGOAL! CHELSEA 6-0 ARSENAL (SALAH)
69 minIt's six as the substitute Mohamed Salah gets in on the act! Azpilicueta's long ball over the top was chased down by the Egyptian, who then calmly finished past Szczesny with just the goalkeeper to beat. Chelsea make another changes as well, with John Obi Mikel replacing David Luiz.
73 minThe Arsenal players, fans and management just want this to end now. What a torrid afternoon it has been for the club, and it's not over yet. They've got around 15 minutes to keep Chelsea out and limit the embarrassment.
75 min
6 - This is the fourth time that Arsenal have conceded 6+ goals in a Premier League game, two of those games have been this season. Rout.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 22, 201478 minThe Chelsea players are just queuing up now as the home side goes for a seventh goal of the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Chelsea fans are signing 'specialist in failure' towards Arsene Wenger is the away dugout. Ouch.
81 minA decent move from Chelsea there as Torres races down the right wing before whipping in a dangerous cross. However, Szczesny does well to come off his line quickly and gather the ball. Despite the Spaniard not being on the scoresheet, he's worked very hard today after coming off the bench early on.
83 minCHANCE! That could easily have been number seven for Chelsea as Schurrle takes aim from 25 yards, only to see his rasping drive go inches wide of the post. The German has been excellent this afternoon, a constant threat.
83 minCHANCE! That could easily have been number seven for Chelsea as Schurrle takes aim from 25 yards, only to see his rasping drive go inches wide of the post. The German has been excellent this afternoon, a constant threat.
86 minJust a matter of minutes remaining now at Stamford Bridge. It will be fascinating to hear Arsene Wenger's thoughts after this match. As mentioned previously, Andre Marriner's early mistake sending off Gibbs instead of Oxlade-Chamberlain was a poor one, but Arsenal's performance in general has just been embarrassing.
90+2 minFULL TIME: CHELSEA 6-0 ARSENAL
90 minThere will be two minutes of added time at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal fans, it's nearly over.
90+2 minFULL TIME: CHELSEA 6-0 ARSENAL
2.38pmAndre Marriner blows the full-time whistle, bringing an end to a terrible afternoon for Arsenal. It's ended 6-0 at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea temporarily going seven points clear at the top of the table. What must Arsene Wenger be thinking? It was supposed to be a day of celebration for the Frenchman, but instead it has been nightmarish.
2.40pmThat's all from our live text coverage of this game, but don't forget you can follow all six of today's 3pm kickoff right here on Sports Mole. Just follow this link here and see what takes your fancy. Thanks for your company and we hope to see you again soon. Goodbye!
