Arsenal showcased their Premier League title credentials with a crucial 2-1 victory against 10-man Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, thanks to goals from Jurriën Timber and William Saliba, both netting from corners.
Just a week after their convincing win over Tottenham, Arsenal secured another important result, regaining a five-point lead over Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
Saliba gave the Gunners the lead midway through the first half, heading in Bukayo Saka‘s corner. However, Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié inadvertently scored an own goal in first-half stoppage time, equalizing for Chelsea.
Chelsea’s equalizer, also from a corner, put Arsenal on the back foot momentarily. But the hosts regained the lead in the 66th minute when Timber headed in Declan Rice‘s delivery.
Pedro Neto was shown a yellow card for protesting Timber’s goal and was sent off shortly after for a foul on Gabriel Martinelli, marking Chelsea’s seventh red card of the season.
With a man advantage, Arsenal seemed set for a comfortable finish, but David Raya made a stunning diving save to deny Alejandro Garnacho‘s curling shot. Late drama ensued as Liam Delap had a goal canceled for offside in stoppage time, allowing the Gunners to take a significant step towards their first title in 22 years.
With nine games remaining, Arsenal’s schedule appears favorable, with only one match against a top-six team: a highly anticipated clash against Pep Guardiola’s City next month.
Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Following Manchester City’s victory over Leeds, Arsenal felt the pressure to perform, and Saliba’s opener seemed inevitable.
Saka’s inswinging corner was met by a powerful leap from Gabriel, who directed the ball toward the area, where Saliba’s reactive header deflected off Mamadou Sarr’s shoulder and past goalkeeper Robert Sánchez.
However, Arsenal soon faced their own misfortune. Raya made an exceptional one-handed save to deny Rice an own goal off a corner taken by James, but ultimately it was Hincapié who deflected in James’ follow-up corner for Chelsea’s equalizer.
Despite their dominance in the first half, Arsenal had to regroup at halftime. After the break, Raya was again busy, first redirecting an effort from Enzo Fernandez and then catching a header from Pedro.
Chelsea’s confidence grew, which added to the tension among Arsenal’s supporters. After Saliba lost a ball to Cole Palmer, Arteta urged the fans to remain calm.
A few minutes later, joy erupted in the Emirates as Timber connected with Rice’s corner to restore Arsenal’s lead.
Notably, 16 of Arsenal’s 52 league goals this season have come from corner kicks, tying a record for a single Premier League campaign shared with Oldham and West Brom.
Chelsea was aggrieved over the legitimacy of the goal, with Neto receiving a yellow card for dissent. His second yellow followed soon after as he thwarted Martinelli’s counterattack with a reckless challenge.
The game shifted dramatically as Sanchez denied Eberechi Eze’s low shot later on. At the other end, Moises Caicedo narrowly missed with a long-range effort, and Raya fended off Garnacho’s shot for a corner.
Chelsea thought they had equalized in stoppage time, only for Delap’s goal to be ruled out for offside in the buildup.