Arsenal vs Chelsea LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Gunners’ run riot after

So much for this being one of Arsenal’s awkward remaining fixtures, not to mention the idea the title race was over. Chelsea had other plans for all that, precisely because they couldn’t implement any kind of gameplan of their own. They couldn’t do much at all.

It means that, on a night when Arsenal went three points clear at the top with a 5-0 victory that is maybe Mikel Arteta’s best performance yet, it is hard not to talk about Chelsea. Focus will be back on Mauricio Pochettino’s future.

Focus should be on the wider running of this club. This was the humiliation that Chelsea had looked in danger of suffering for some time. So much, too, for the players stepping up in the absence of an ill Cole Palmer.

A little more than 24 hours later, the sight of Chelsea without their top scorer and player of the year was enough to send the majority of the away fans make the trip back across London more than 20 minutes from the end of this humiliating, dispiriting, London derby thrashing at the Emirates.

“I don’t want your shirt, I just want to fight for ours,” a young boy pleaded in the away end. Chelsea failed, spectacularly.

“I think we started the game not so well. We concede the goal and then it was difficult for us to recover from this goal. I think in the first half we compete after 10, 15 minutes. We could not approach the game like we started in the first half and we didn’t compete the way we needed to compete and then when they scored the third it was easy for Arsenal to control the game.

“I think you need to be clinical. Like against Manchester City three days ago, we were not clinical and then today the same thing happened. Difficult performance because it is not nice to see your team play like this when you are mean to have full energy. After three days when you play a fantastic game against Manchester City, today we are disappointed with the performance.”

“It is a big London derby and we know what it means for the fans. We will enjoy it and rest and get ready for the next one.

“What I would like is that the players can manage themselves in the dressing room. You have to leave them some space. They know what they are playing for. That’s what holds the team together. My role is to demand them and also in the right moments make them believe they can do it.

“We have a lot of games coming up. Let’s enjoy tonight and let’s go back to work.”

“I think the early goal helped us and after that we played so well. We had a lot of chances and we turned them into goals. It’s a great night.

“They say clean sheets help you win games. We know if we score the goal we can win 1-0. But, obviously, we want to go for more. Today is the perfect night. I think everyone works so well and hard. I am really happy to be here.

“We can only do our own job and that’s winning games. We are on track now and we will try and win the rest of the games and we will see what happens.”

This is Chelsea’s second-biggest top flight defeat in London, after a 6-0 loss at Queens Park Rangers on 31 March, 1986.

”We know we can score goals and today it was a quick game and it was important to put the ball away when we had the chance.

“It’s not just the defence keeping the clean sheets, the wingers track back as well.”

90+7 mins: There goes the whistle. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal go three points clear at the top of the table. That was the type of performance that wins league titles.

They’ll still need some help but Arsenal are right in the mix to win the Premier League.

90+3 mins: Arsenal are doing all they can to maintain their clean sheet but Chelsea aren’t really threatening the goal despite their control of possession.

Both teams seem to be winding down to the finish.

90 mins: There are seven minutes of added time to play! Chelsea won’t be best pleased about that.