Online Reporter
WHEN Morgan Rogers picked Chelsea over Arsenal in July, he said he had joined “the biggest club in London”.
The £117million signing — and most expensive English player of all time – did have a say when the two sides clashed at the Emirates on Sunday. Rogers opened the scoring with a volley after 77 seconds and stuck his tongue out at the Arsenal fans for good measure.
He showed he was up for the scrap by picking a fight with, of all people, his England team-mate Declan Rice.
But Arsenal got one over on their former transfer target by coming from behind to win 2-1. That does not make the Gunners the biggest club in London. That claim, and exactly how to judge it, is up for debate.
But what is crystal clear is that, with Mikel Arteta in charge of Arsenal, the head-to-head battle between these two capital heavyweights is completely one-sided. Chelsea actually edged out Arsenal in Arteta’s second game in charge.
Since that festive fixture in 2019, though, it has been one-way traffic. One Chelsea win in the next 17 meetings makes grim reading for the club, and for Rogers as he looks to back up his bold remark.
Chelsea have failed to beat the Gunners in any of their last TEN Premier League ties.
Take cup competitions into account and that grows to 12 without victory. Overall, it is two Chelsea wins, four draws and 12 wins for the Gunners during Arteta’s tenure.
The Arsenal boss may have failed to convince Rogers about a move to the Emirates during a face-to-face meeting in the summer, but he has his new club’s number.
Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior have all come and gone through the revolving Stamford Bridge door since Arteta landed in North London.
On Sunday, the Spaniard showed new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso that he still has a chokehold on this fixture.
And with Arsenal the clear favourites to reclaim their Prem title, Rogers may soon find it hard to justify the comments that riled Gooners when he plumped for their cross-town rivals. —Sun.
