Chelsea slump again as Nketiah stars for five-star Arsenal

Chelsea’s home struggles continue as Brentford handed them another damaging defeat. In a dominant display, Eddie Nketiah scored a hat-trick to lead unbeaten Arsenal to a resounding 5-0 victory over bottom club Sheffield United.

Despite a recent uptick in form, Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea have only managed one win in their last 13 Premier League matches at home. Ethan Pinnock took advantage of poor defending to give Brentford the lead before Bryan Mbeumo added insult to injury with a late goal.

The result sees Brentford climb above Chelsea into 10th place in the league standings, while Pochettino’s side drop into the bottom half.

Pochettino expressed his disappointment with the team’s home record, stating, “I’m not happy and think the players also and the whole club is not happy about the run (at home). It’s a long time that we need to be more consistent here and very disappointed with this. We feel the responsibility that we need to change the dynamic.”

Pochettino also provided an update on injured midfielder Christopher Nkunku, who is nearing a comeback. He emphasized the need for offensive productivity, as Chelsea’s new striker Nicolas Jackson once again failed to make an impact.

Arsenal, on the other hand, showcased their resilience as they came back from a 2-0 deficit against Chelsea in their previous match. In their latest fixture against Sheffield United, Mikel Arteta’s side made light work of their opponents, with Nketiah scoring a hat-trick and Takehiro Tomiyasu adding the final goal in stoppage time.

Arsenal’s victory puts them just two points behind league leaders Tottenham, who won their match against Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, struggling Burnley and Bournemouth played to a draw, while Newcastle face Wolves in the late kick-off.

In Sunday’s matches, high-flying Liverpool and Manchester City will be in action.

jw/nr