Summary:
- Arsenal scored twice from corners to beat 10-man Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates.
- Pedro Neto was sent off, the seventh different Chelsea player to see red in the league this season.
- The win restores Arsenal’s five-point lead at the top of the table.
Arsenal are not pretending to be subtle about it anymore. If you give them a corner, you are taking a risk. Chelsea found that out the hard way in a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates, where two more set-pieces proved decisive in the Premier League title race.
Early Response from Arsenal
Under pressure after Manchester City’s win over Leeds, Mikel Arteta’s side needed a response, and they got it early.
From their first corner of the afternoon, Bukayo Saka’s delivery was nodded back across goal by Gabriel, and William Saliba was there to head home.
Chelsea did hit back, also from a corner. Reece James whipped in a dangerous ball that Piero Hincapié could only flick into his own net under pressure. For a moment, it looked like the visitors might make a game of it.
However, discipline let them down again. Pedro Neto picked up a second yellow card for a cynical foul on Gabriel Martinelli, just minutes after being booked for dissent. Down to 10 men, Chelsea were left chasing.
16th League Goal from a Corner
Arsenal took advantage, with Declan Rice swinging in another corner and Jurrien Timber forcing it over the line. Robert Sanchez endured an awkward moment in goal. It was Arsenal’s 16th league goal from a corner this season, matching the best single-season totals in Premier League history.
To Chelsea’s credit, they did not fold. They pushed late on, and Arsenal needed David Raya at his sharpest. He tipped a dangerous Alejandro Garnacho cross wide in stoppage time and had earlier clawed away a goalbound corner.
There was also a shout for a Chelsea penalty when the ball appeared to brush Rice’s arm, but nothing was given.
Arteta: “Big Win. I Am Very Happy.”
Arteta was pleased with the bigger picture.
Big win. I am very happy. We performed in an excellent way for big periods. The margin should have been bigger at half-time.
Liam Rosenior saw a pattern he did not like.
To concede two goals from corners and get another red card, that has been the story of our season.
The result leaves Arsenal five points clear at the top, albeit having played a game more than City. Chelsea, meanwhile, are left chasing in the race for the Champions League spots and still searching for answers in both boxes.
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