Arsenal edged past rivals Chelsea on Sunday afternoon to re-establish their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League, after Manchester City had narrowed this gap by beating Leeds United on Saturday.
William Saliba gave the Gunners the lead in the first half, nodding home from close range following a Bukayo Saka corner. The Blues responded by scoring from their own set-piece on the stroke of half-time, as Piero Hincapie flicked the ball into his own net.
Jurrien Timber then provided the decisive moment in the second half, heading home after Declan Rice provided a delicious delivery. While the North Londoners had to endure a nervy final 20 minutes after Pedro Neto saw red, they were ultimately able to see the game out and claim a crucial three points.
David Raya’s heroics save Arsenal
David Raya made a critical error in Arsenal’s draw with Wolves recently, prompting criticism for the goalkeeper. The Spaniard has since responded with two outstanding performances in heated London derbies, which have rebuilt faith in him from Gunners supporters.
Not only was his distribution, particularly when under pressure, excellent throughout, but he was also agile and reactive when called into action. Acrobatically preventing a Rice own goal just before Chelsea scored, he then made two crucial saves in the second half.
A huge reflex stop from David Raya in stoppage-time! 😳 pic.twitter.com/Fjl5Y5THko
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 1, 2026
An impressive leap and catch from Joao Pedro stopped Chelsea from going ahead, before the Arsenal number one dramatically clawed away Alejandro Garnacho’s cross-cum-shot. These were two huge moments from Raya, and he deserves plaudits for these pivotal contributions.
Arsenal need to be careful with Martin Zubimendi
Martin Zubimendi has played more outfield minutes than anyone else in Arsenal’s squad this season across all competitions, and it’s starting to show. The midfielder is starting to look laboured, both physically and mentally.
This fatigue is setting into his decision-making, almost selling Raya short with a nearly disastrous back pass in the second half. The rest of his performance lacked energy, while his passing was unusually sloppy, but also largely conservative.
It’s clear that Zubimendi’s minutes need to be managed, and that Arteta needs to trust Christian Norgaard to take some minutes off him moving forward. Otherwise, the 27-year-old simply won’t perform at the level required to take Arsenal over the line in the run-in.
| Martin Zubimendi’s Statistics vs Chelsea | |
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Touches | 33 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Passes into the Final Third | 6 |
| Key Passes | 0 |
| Accurate Passes | 21/26 (81%) |
| Defensive Contributions | 7 |
| Tackles | 3 |
Set-pieces remain Arsenal’s most potent weapon in big games
Most of Arsenal’s games against the best teams in the league this season have been very low-event. The Gunners are effective at shutting down the better sides they face, although this often comes at the detriment of their attack. Against Liverpool home and away, at home to Manchester City and away at Stamford Bridge, Arteta’s team scored just two goals, while conceding just three.
Clearly, it’s in Arsenal’s fabric to make these games cagey and low-incident, and then try to nick all three points by scoring from set-pieces. Prior to this clash, aside from at Old Trafford on the first day of the season, this hasn’t been very successful.
Jurrien Timber restores the Gunners' lead from another corner! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HWJlaDpEqM
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 1, 2026
On Sunday, it worked to perfection. Very little happened outside of set-pieces, and Arsenal’s extraordinary threat from these dead-ball scenarios ultimately proved to be the difference. Rice and Saka’s deliveries, as well as Gabriel Magalhaes’ presence in the box, deserve to be celebrated for their contributions in this game.
