LONDON: Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal's emphatic 3-1 win against Chelsea on Saturday as a "turning point" in his troubled side's season. Arteta's side sat just three points above the relegation zone before kick-off at the Emirates Stadium after their worst start to a season since 1974-75. But the Gunners produced their best performance this term to out-class their London rivals. Alexandre Lacazette's controversial penalty opened the scoring before Granit Xhaka's superb free-kick increased Arsenal's lead before half-time.

Bukayo Saka bagged Arsenal's third goal after the break as they won in the Premier League for the first time in eight games stretching back to November 1. Tammy Abraham's late strike was no consolation for woeful Chelsea, who missed a penalty through Jorginho in the final moments. Moving six points clear of the bottom three will buy Arteta a little breathing space following talk he was in danger of the sack after just a year in charge. "It's a really big win for us. We were really disappointed and frustrated with the results," Arteta said.

"The players and fans were suffering and today is a really special day. It doesn't get any better; Boxing Day, playing a London derby at the Emirates and winning the way we've done it. "Hopefully this is a turning point and will elevate the confidence of the team because I know that they can play at this level. "It is how consistent we are throughout the game to sustain that level." With matches against Brighton and West Brom coming next in their Christmas schedule, Arsenal have a chance to climb to a healthy league position heading into 2021.

"The spirit before the game was really positive, they really wanted it," Arteta said. "I am pleased for the players and for the supporters, We have let them down for many weeks so it was a good day." Having won the FA Cup final against Chelsea in August, Arteta has now delivered two major blows to Blues boss Frank Lampard this year. Chelsea would have gone second with a victory, but instead they remain six points behind leaders Liverpool after a third defeat in their last four league games.

Lacklustre in attack, short of drive in midfield and bereft of a cutting edge up front, Chelsea's £200 million ($267 million) pre-season overhaul is yet to pay off. "I'm angry because I want us to win games. We were lazy to give away a penalty, lazy to give away a free-kick that he puts in the top corner," Lampard said. "I'm very disappointed in the way we approached the first half because some things in football are basics. "It is not tactics or systems, it is do you want to run, back your team-mate out and sprint? Or do you want to jog and say 'maybe I don't have to run' and we took that decision instead of the right one."

Arsenal made the breakthrough in the 35th minute when Kieran Tierney got across Reece James into the Chelsea area and tumbled under the slightest contact from the panicked defender. Michael Oliver's debatable decision to award a penalty survived a VAR review and Lacazette sent Edouard Mendy the wrong way from the spot for his sixth goal of the season. It was no more than Arsenal deserved for a vibrant first half and Arteta was celebrating again in the 44th minute.

N'Golo Kante fouled Saka and Xhaka did his bit to get back in favor when he whipped a brilliant 20-yard free-kick over the Chelsea wall and into the top corner. Saka made it three in the 56th minute as Hector Bellerin and Emile Smith Rowe combined to send the youngster into the area and his cross-shot looped over Mendy into the far corner. Abraham converted Hudson Odoi's cross from close range in the 85th minute. Pablo Mari's foul on Mount gave Chelsea a stoppage-time penalty, but Jorginho missed for the third time this season as Bernd Leno kept out the Italian's weak effort.

City gaining momentum
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola is optimistic that Manchester City are on course to challenge Liverpool again for the Premier League title after climbing up to fifth and within five points of the leaders with a routine 2-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday. At a rain and windswept Etihad Stadium as Storm Bella swept into Manchester, it was plain sailing for the hosts as goals either side of half-time from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 games.

City's lack of goals has unusually been their undoing so far this season but despite again not hitting the free-flowing heights of previous years under Guardiola, an impressive defensive record is moving them back into contention. An eighth clean sheet in 10 games never looked threatened against a Newcastle side lacking in intent or threat, with top scorer Callum Wilson left on the bench.

"There are weird results for everyone. This season is about being calm in the good and bad moments," said Guardiola. "I have the feeling we are getting better." Guardiola's options had been limited prior to kick-off by Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus testing positive for coronavirus along with two members of the City staff. However, the loss of Jesus and Walker is likely to be more keenly felt in the coming week as City travel to second-placed Everton on Monday and Chelsea next weekend in two real tests of their ability to reel in Liverpool at the top of the table.

"We played at the tempo we have to play. We are a team that needs to make a lot of passes, not run so much and attack in the right moments. Today our positional game was perfect," added Guardiola. "Unfortunately we could not score more goals but it is a good result and three more points. We don't have much time to think about it because in 45, 46 hours we are back." City threw away two points in their last home game in a 1-1 draw with West Brom after Gundogan opened the scoring.

But there was no repeat this time after the German midfielder was picked out by Raheem Sterling for a tap-in. Even Kevin De Bruyne has suffered from a lack of confidence in front of goal in recent months as City's routine thrashings of sides in the lower reaches of the table have dried up. The Belgian is yet to score from open play this season and paid for his hesitation as he looked for a teammate to square the ball to when clean through on Karl Darlow as the Newcastle 'keeper kept his side in the game before half-time. - Agencies