Arsenal stunned their bitter rivals Chelsea with a 1-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a moment of brilliance from Mikel Merino. The win, which tightened Arsenal’s grip on second place in the Premier League, provided a much-needed boost after three successive league draws.
In a game that saw both sides struggle to create clear-cut chances in the first half, Arsenal’s persistence finally paid off in stoppage time. Martin Odegaard swung in a precise right-sided corner that found the stooping Merino, whose deft near-post flick-on sent the home fans into raptures. The goal, Merino’s fourth in just eight home matches, ultimately proved the difference as Chelsea, missing injured Cole Palmer, were unable to overturn the deficit.
Despite a period of dominance from Arsenal in midfield, where players like Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli probed Chelsea’s disjointed defense there were several near-misses. Declan Rice’s powerful shot, coming after David Raya scrambled to clear a deflected clearance from Wesley Fofana, went agonizingly over the bar.
In contrast, Chelsea nearly equalised in the 37th minute when Marc Cucurella’s optimistic volley, stemming from a substitute Tyrique George cross, rattled just past Raya.
However, Chelsea’s counter-attacks failed to yield a response as Arsenal maintained their composure. Manager Mikel Arteta summed up the game said : “We should have done much more but we are very happy and it was an important game. We played a top opponent and the team played with an unbelievable spirit and now we go to the international break. The only thing we can do is try to win our matches. If we do, we are in a better position.”
On his part Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca added, “I think we were in the game until the end. Given the injuries, we fought until the end. After the international break, we can have more players back like Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke for the final sprint.”
With Arsenal now 12 points adrift of Liverpool and Chelsea clinging narrowly to fourth, this derby win could prove pivotal in the title race.
