And they never saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain again.
After the moderate joy of beating Bayern Munich on penalties, Arsenal’s pre-season took a nose dive against London rivals Chelsea.
Antonio Conte’s troops went 2-0 up before half-time through Willian and Michy Batshuayi’s expert finishes.
The Blues were forced to withdraw Pedro midway through the first half after he was clattered by an onrushing David Ospina.
Four minutes after the restart Chelsea made it 3-0 when Batshuayi swept home his second of the game from just outside the box.
Marcos Alonso did the good work in the build-up with simple yet devastatingly effective cut inside.
With one touch he sucked out Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s soul and devoured it whole.
Take a look…
It’s likely that the Ox’s hollow shell will remain slumped by the touchline of the Bird’s Nest stadium until the end of time.
One man who may be slightly concerned about Chelsea’s impressive display is Alvaro Morata.
The Spanish forward was confirmed as the Blues’ record transfer today but his role as primary goalscorer may not be as secure as he thought given Batshuayi’s impressive pre-season form.
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At the very least, the 23-year-old Belgian will provide his manager with a formidable Plan B.
A message of intent from the champions.