Jurrien Timber scored a second half winner as Arsenal continued their charge towards winning the Premier League title with a 2-1 win over 10-man Chelsea on Sunday.
The Gunners had seen their lead reduced to two points after Manchester City’s win over Leeds United on Saturday, but restored their five-point advantage with a London derby victory.
Mikel Arteta’s side had won the last two meetings between both sides in the EFL Cup semifinal earlier in the year and extended their unbeaten run to 11 games across all competitions.
Arsenal took the lead in the first half when an inswinging corner kick from Bukayo Saka was met by the head of Gabriel Magalhaes, who cushioned the ball into the path of defensive partner William Saliba, who then headed into the net via a deflection off Mamadou Sarr.
Chelsea then pushed forward in search of an equalizer and David Raya had to pull off a brilliant save to deny a deflection off Declan Rice from going in.
However, the Blues scored from the next play as Piero Hincapie flicked into his net from a Reece James’s delivery as the first half ended in a 1-1 scoreline.
Arsenal then surged back ahead in the second half as Timber nodded home from a wicked delivery from Rice, with Robert Sanchez at fault.
It was their 16th corner goal of the season, equalling the record for the most in a Premier League season, alongside West Bromwich Albion and Oldham.
Pedro Neto, who had been booked for dissent earlier, was then sent off for a second booking after hauling down Gabriel Martinelli.
There was still time for more action as Liam Delap put the ball into the back of the net in stoppage-time, although it was ruled out for offside against Joao Pedro in the buildup.
Arsenal closed out the win and moved closer to ending their league drought, while Chelsea dropped to sixth on the standings.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
