Exactly ten years ago, on March 22, 2014, Samuel Eto’o and Mohamed Salah played pivotal roles in Chelsea’s resounding victory over Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal in the Premier League, leaving the veteran manager reeling from a nightmarish defeat.
The match, intended to commemorate Wenger’s thousandth game in charge of Arsenal, quickly turned sour for the Gunners’ boss.
What was meant to be a celebratory milestone transformed into a harrowing ordeal as Chelsea delivered a devastating blow with a 6-0 rout.
Eto’o set the tone early with an opening goal in the 5th minute, followed by Salah’s decisive strike fifteen minutes from time, sealing the Blues’ emphatic victory.
Adding insult to injury, Wenger found himself facing off against his longtime rival, José Mourinho, in the opposing dugout. Mourinho, renowned for his tactical prowess, had previously bested Wenger in their encounters, compounding the Frenchman’s misery.
The defeat marked the eleventh time Wenger had failed to secure a victory against Mourinho in 2014 alone.
It wasn’t until their fourteenth meeting that Wenger finally managed to overcome Mourinho, securing a win during a Community Shield match in 2015.
Throughout their storied rivalry, Wenger only tasted victory twice out of nineteen encounters with the Portuguese tactician.
Reflecting on the bitter defeat, Wenger lamented its impact on Arsenal’s season.
The Gunners finished fourth in the league, trailing Chelsea by a mere three points.
Had Wenger’s milestone match unfolded differently, the season’s outcome may well have been more favorable for Arsenal.
A decade on, the clash between Chelsea and Arsenal remains etched in footballing history as a testament to the enduring rivalry between two managerial giants, Mourinho and Wenger, with Eto’o and Salah leaving an indelible mark on Wenger’s milestone moment.
📅 On This Day In 2014:
Arsene Wenger turned up at The Bridge ahead of his 1000th game in charge of Arsenal. It ended up, Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal 😂 #CFC
⚽ 1-0 Eto’o
⚽ 2-0 Schürrle
🔴 2-0 Gibbs Sent Off
⚽ 3-0 Hazard
⚽ 4-0 Oscar
⚽ 5-0 Oscar
⚽ 6-0 Salah pic.twitter.com/l9bRSdBQwC— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) March 22, 2022
