#CultClashes: Arsenal and Chelsea have delivered some humdingers
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It’s fair to say that Arsenal don’t enjoy a fantastic recent record against rivals Chelsea but this weekend offers the perfect opportunity for the Gunners to redress the balance.
The champions-elect take on the title holders at the Emirates this Sunday, bidding to secure a first league victory over the Blues since 2011.
These two clubs have been involved in some right belters down the years with both sets of supporters given plenty of entertainment.
Here are our five top #CultClashes between the London rivals…
Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal – 22 March 2014
This one was memorable for a whole host of reasons. Not only was it Arsene Wenger’s 1,000th game in charge of the Gunners, but it was the first time that the Blues had netted six against their London rivals.
Aside from the goals, it also sticks in the memory for the fact that Andre Marriner can’t tell the difference between Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. That case of mistaken identity aside, this is one north Londoners will want to banish from memory.
Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal – 29 October 2011
Arsenal fans may bay for his blood nowadays but there was no denying the importance Robin Van Persie had on the Gunners in his heyday.
In netting a hat-trick in this real humdinger of a derby, the Dutchman moved to 28 goals in 27 games for Wenger’s men. The lesser-spotted Andre Santos had added to RVP’s first before Theo Walcott put the Gunners 3-2 up. Juan Mata equaliser looked to have secured a share of the spoils before that man Van Persie bagged two late on to take the game and the match ball.
Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal – 21 August 2005
One man that Arsene Wenger dreaded coming up against more than Jose Mourinho was Didier Drogba. The striker netted a total of 15 goals against the Gunners in his career, his first in the Premier League coming back in 2005.
The victory marked more than that though, while the west Londoners have had the upper hand in recent years, the Blues’ odd-goal win marked an end to a run of 20 top-flight games without a victory against Arsenal.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal – 23 October 1999
Apart from the non-stop tasty tackles flying in from all-round the ground this clash in the late-90s is remembered for a Gunners comeback courtesy of one man.
After Tore Andre Flo and Dan Petrescu had given the hosts a two-goal advantage mid-way through the second half, the points looked in the bag. That was until Nwankwo Kanu summoned up something within himself to net a wonder hat-trick. The winner coming with just seconds left on the clock as Wengers’ men stole it.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal – 21September 1997
This one rounds off our quintet simply for the winning strike alone. As the clock ticked down with the scores level, Chelsea must have thought they had rescued a point having been 2-1 down with a man disadvantage after Frank Leboeuf’s dismissal.
But when the chips are down there is one man you can rely on to pop up with some magic; Nigel Winterburn. Yes, seriously. His winner was once named the 44th best goal in Premier League history. We think it should feature higher…
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