Youngsters deliver for Arsenal as scrutiny shifts to Lampard

With his job increasingly on line after an alarming start to season, Mikel Arteta placed his faith in Arsenal's kids to get team out of trouble.

y delivered for ir under-pressure manr.

Powered by two 19-year-olds — Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka — and a 20-year-old in Emile Smith Rowe making his first start in Premier League this season, Arsenal produced its best performance in some time to beat Chelsea 3-1 and lift some of gloom over Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Arteta had billed coming week, starting with visit of Chelsea, as a “crucial” period that would determine which direction Arsenal was heading this season.

re was even some mischievous talk by Arsenal's rivals and critics of Arteta's team being in a relegation fight, given that it had lost five of last seven league games — drawing or two — to slip to 15th in 20-club league.

A first league victory in nearly two months was vital, refore, to boost Arsenal's players' fragile confidence — even if it only lifted m into 14th place.

“We needed that. We needed to give fans something,” Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney said. “It's something to build on.”

It took 90 minutes for scrutiny that was hovering over Arteta to drift toward his Chelsea counterpart, Frank Lampard.

That's three losses in last four league games for Chelsea, which has dropped to sixth place and whose identity — and best lineup — is increasingly hard to decipher. Lampard oversaw a spending spree of nearly $300 million in summer transfer window and kws pressure is on to win trophies this season.

“I’ll take responsibility on outside," Lampard said, “but players also have to take responsibility.”

A penalty by Alexandre Lacazette, earned by a foul by Reece James on Tierney, and a stunning free kick by Granit Xhaka put Arsenal 2-0 ahead at halftime, before Smith Rowe and Saka combined for latter to loft a shot — or was it a cross? — off far post and into net.

Playing only his third game in Premier League, Rowe Smith — who spent second half of last season on loan at second-tier Huddersfield — was a sensation in central midfield and Martinelli again impressed with his energy on left wing after starting in place of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Aside from scoring, Saka also earned foul from which Xhaka converted free kick.

UNITED STREAK ENDS

Manchester United's perfect away record is over, though it needed a late own-goal to end it.

Substitute Axel Tuanzebe unwittingly deflected a shot from Jamie Vardy into his own net in 85th to gift Leicester a 2-2 draw at home to United. result kept Leicester above United in standings after y started day in second and third place.

Bru Fernandes set up Marcus Rashford for opener, made a sloppy mistake that led to Harvey Barnes equalizing, n scored himself in 79th to put United back in lead.

United had won its first six away games of campaign.

VILLA SOARING

Aston Villa had far too much for Crystal Palace in its 3-0 home win, despite playing whole second half with 10 men after Tyrone Mings collected a second yellow card just before halftime.

Hard-working Villa striker Ollie Watkins played a part in all three goals, scored by Bertrand Traore, Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi. Villa has picked up 10 points from a possible 12 this month.

Southampton had two second-half goals ruled out by VAR in a 0-0 draw at Fulham in day's or match.

(Im Credit: AP)