Odegaard guides Arsenal to Premier League helm with win victory over Chelsea

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League after an impressive 3-1 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. 

Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard was the star of the show, scoring twice in a rampant first-half display. Gabriel Jesus added a third goal before the break, while Noni Madueke scored a consolation goal for Chelsea in the second half. 

Arsenal's win puts them two points clear of Manchester City, who have two games in hand. The Gunners had lost their previous game to City and had drawn their three previous matches, leading to doubts about their ability to challenge for the title. However, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remained confident that his team could still win the league, and his players responded with a dominant performance against Chelsea. 

The defeat leaves Chelsea languishing in 12th place in the table, with just one win in their last nine games in all competitions.

Odegaard opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 18th minute, curling a superb finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga from just inside the penalty area. The hosts doubled their lead in the 31st minute, with Odegaard again on the scoresheet, firing past Kepa from 12 yards. Jesus added a third goal just three minutes later, capitalizing on slack defending from Chelsea. 

The visitors improved in the second half, with Madueke scoring a well-taken goal in the 65th minute. However, it was too little, too late for Chelsea, who were outplayed by a rampant Arsenal side.

After the game, Arteta praised his team's performance, saying, "The first 60 minutes, I thought we played really well. That was everything I want to see from our team. Speed, quality, movement, two beautiful goals, we connected with our crowd and created an incredible atmosphere. We wanted to earn the right to be top of the league. We are happy to be there." 

Arsenal will hope to maintain their lead at the top when they travel to face Newcastle on Sunday. Meanwhile, Chelsea will look to turn their form around when they host Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.