Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has delivered a damning verdict on his old club's championship credentials, ruling them out of the Premier League title race following a dramatic London derby.
Gunners' Lead Cut After Fiery Derby
The pivotal moment came on Sunday, as league leaders Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Despite Moises Caicedo's first-half red card, the Blues took the lead through Trevor Chalobah's header after the break. Arsenal salvaged a point thanks to Mikel Merino's close-range effort, extending their unbeaten league run to ten matches.
However, the dropped points proved costly. Manchester City's dramatic 3-2 victory over Leeds United on Saturday, inspired by a Phil Foden brace, meant Pep Guardiola's side leapfrogged Chelsea into second place. Arsenal's cushion at the summit was consequently trimmed to just five points.
Leboeuf's Scathing Assessment of Arsenal Leaders
While the result tightened the table, Leboeuf was left distinctly unimpressed by the performance of Arsenal's key men. In an interview with ESPN, the French World Cup winner singled out attacking duo Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze for criticism.
"I think the leaders, and I'm talking about Saka and Eze, they were only a shadow of themselves for me today," Leboeuf stated. "We didn't really see them do what they had to do and what they normally do. Eze was absolutely invisible up to the point that Arteta substituted him."
He reserved praise only for Declan Rice, noting the midfielder was "always the right guy in the right place" defensively.
Chelsea Ruled Out, But Gunners Face 'Psychological' Test
Despite Arsenal's perceived off-day, Leboeuf insisted Mikel Arteta's side remain the clear favourites to win their first title since 2004. He was, however, unequivocal in writing off Chelsea's chances.
"Chelsea is getting more mature but they are not ready to win the title," he asserted. "And we don't know about Man City because they can still be inconsistent, so I think Arsenal are still the favourite."
His sentiment was echoed by former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley, who told ESPN that Arsenal are the strongest team in the division "by a stretch." Yet Burley issued a stark warning, suggesting failure to clinch the trophy this season would act as a "psychological battering ram" for a club that has finished runner-up in the last three campaigns.
"It really is there's to go and win this year and if they don't, it's really going to throw up more questions than answers," Burley warned.
The title race continues at pace this week. Manchester City can reduce the gap to two points if they win at Fulham on Tuesday. Arsenal host Brentford on Wednesday, while Chelsea travel to face Leeds United.
