Chelsea humiliates Arsenal as ref blunders

“It’s one of the worst days (in my career),” said Wenger. “It’s over after 20 minutes and it’s a long game after that.”

March 23, 2014 06:15 pm | Updated May 19, 2016 10:53 am IST - LONDON

“It’s just instinct, I’ve turned and had a quick look and seen the goalkeeper off his line,” Rooney (centre) said. “It’s one of those I’ve tried many times and thankfully today it’s gone in.”

“It’s just instinct, I’ve turned and had a quick look and seen the goalkeeper off his line,” Rooney (centre) said. “It’s one of those I’ve tried many times and thankfully today it’s gone in.”

A day of drama in the English Premier League produced 32 goals including Wayne Rooney scoring from halfway and a referee admitting he sent off the wrong player as Arsene Wenger’s 1,000th match ended in embarrassment at Chelsea on Saturday.

Andre Marriner dismissed Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs instead of teammate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose diving save with his hand blocked the ball on the goal-line.

The 15th-minute sending off was hardly a turning point in the London derby, however, as Arsenal had already conceded twice inside seven minutes of Wenger’s landmark match. And Arsenal crumbled further against the leaders after Eden Hazard converted the penalty kick, dropping to fourth in the standings as their title rivals all won.

The margin of this defeat (6-0) matched the previous low-point of Wenger’s 18-year reign an 8-2 loss at Manchester United. It was also Arsenal’s third big away loss against its direct title rivals this season, following a 6-3 defeat at Manchester City and 5-1 drubbing at Liverpool.

Manchester City climbed above Arsenal into third place with a 5-0 victory over Fulham, while second-place Liverpool won 6-3 at Cardiff. It leaves Chelsea four points ahead having played one more than Liverpool and three more than City, which is six adrift.

Far from the title race is Manchester United, which remains seventh despite Rooney scoring twice, the first a volley from the halfway line, in a 2-0 victory at West Ham.

The bottom three remains unchanged with Fulham in last place behind Cardiff and Sunderland, which lost 2-0 at Norwich after conceding goals from Robert Snodgrass and Alexander Tettey. Hull surged eight points clear of danger after Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic clinched a 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion.

Everton moved ahead of Tottenham into fifth after Ross Barkley’s header secured a 3-2 victory over Swansea, and Newcastle climbed to eighth by defeating Crystal Palace 1-0 after Papiss Cisse scored in stoppage time.

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