Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: Match report & 3 talking points from scrappy London derby

• Mikel Merino ended Arsenal’s set-piece drought
• Both the Gunners and Chelsea struggled to score
• Neither goalkeeper was impressive in derby clash

Arsenal found themselves on the right side of a nervy, scrappy and deeply underwhelming win at home to Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

In a meeting between two sides without a fit striker between them and who were also both missing their best player, those at the Emirates Stadium were fortunate to witness as many as one goal.

Mikel Merino’s stooped first-half header from a corner proved to be the difference in a game which didn’t have many immediate rammifications. Three more points still leaves Arsenal 12 adrift of Liverpool. While Chelsea remain in fourth place.

How the game unfolded

The match was not 200 seconds old. Before Chelsea’s defensive third began to resemble an Arsenal shooting gallery. The Gunners roared into Sunday’s London derby, peppering Robert Sanchez’s haphazardly-guarded goal with an early flurry of efforts before Merino’s header arced into the far corner in the 20th minute.

Leandro Trossard had an early sighter fizz wide while Gabriel Martinelli twice went close. Declan Rice seemed to be particularly fired up against the club which dropped him from their academy as a 14-year-old.

Yet, once they failed to build on สนใจสมัคร? คลิกที่นี่เพื่อเริ่มต้น their deserved lead, the hosts began to fade. Chelsea. Who were without their injured talisman Cole Palmer as well as both their centre-forwards – took advantage of Arsenal’s passivity and grew into an increasingly even contest.

The half-time interval punctured Chelsea’s growing momentum. With the words of Mikel Arteta still ringing in their ears, the Gunners tightened up the stitching of their midfield and defensive lines, firmly engaging the handbrake. There were just eight shots across the entire second 45 minutes, only three of which forced saves from either underwhelming goalkeeper and not one was from a vaguely threatening position.