Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League at Emirates Stadium, with Mikel Merino’s first-half header proving the difference in a match dominated by physical battles.
Merino’s goal came in the 20th minute, flicking a precise header into the far corner past Chelsea’s struggling goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Sanchez, returning to the starting XI for Chelsea, had a few nervy moments in the first-half. While Arsenal controlled key moments, the match was more notable for its aggressive duels than attacking quality.
Chelsea, still reeling from their previous 5-0 defeat at the Emirates last season, prioritised physicality but failed to create clear chances. Pedro Neto looked dangerous throughout the game, but failed to register any real threat.
The closest Chelsea came to scoring was in the first half after Marc Cucurella's volley was miscontrolled by David Raya, who almost put in the ball into his own net. Other than this, Chelsea had their fewest touches in opponents box in this season's Premier League with only 8.
The absence of Cole Palmer affected their attacking fluency, while midfielders Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo engaged in persistent fouls. Wesley Fofana was fortunate to escape a red card after a reckless challenge on Declan Rice.
Despite Chelsea’s late possession, Arsenal remained defensively solid, with David Raya untroubled in goal.
The result ended Arsenal’s three-match winless run and maintained their top-four push, while Chelsea’s lack of discipline left them frustrated once again.
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