Mikel Merino’s first-half header proved to be the difference in Arsenal’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea in a tense and fiery Super Sunday London derby.
The only goal of the match came after 20 minutes when Merino expertly directed Martin Ødegaard’s well-placed set-piece into the near post, marking a long-awaited breakthrough for the Gunners. This goal ended a lengthy dry spell for Arsenal, who had gone 51 attempts without scoring from a corner since their last such goal on January 15 against Spurs. It also represented their 15th corner goal of the season, a significant milestone.
Arsenal were fully deserving of their lead, and they were perhaps unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty for a Marc Cucurella handball in the build-up to the goal. The Gunners were the better side for much of the first half, controlling the tempo and dominating a Chelsea side that started slowly. However, Chelsea nearly equalized in the 35th minute when Cucurella’s strike seemed destined for the far corner, but Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya did well to parry it away, sparing his side’s blushes.
The second half saw a drop in the intensity, with fewer chances created but a flurry of yellow cards—seven in total—handed out by the referee. Arsenal came close to doubling their lead when Sanchez made an excellent stop to deny Merino’s close-range header at the near post, before later producing another good save to thwart Ødegaard’s effort.
Chelsea, missing Cole Palmer due to a training-ground injury, struggled to create any meaningful chances and could only muster one tame header from Cucurella that bounced harmlessly into the ground and wide of the target. It was a disappointing second-half showing for the Blues, who failed to threaten Arsenal in any substantial way.
The result sees Arsenal move nine points clear of Chelsea in fifth place, while the victory also reduces, if only slightly, Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to 12 points.
