Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: Player ratings and higlights
Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea in a match where both teams struggled to create real goal-scoring chances on Sunday.
The game’s only goal came in the 20th minute when Mikel Merino headed the ball into the net, giving Arsenal the lead. For a moment, it looked like the Gunners might dominate the rest of the match. Gabriel Martinelli, making his first start in six weeks, added energy to Arsenal’s attack, helping to keep Chelsea’s defence on their toes.
Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, looked shaky at times, which encouraged Arsenal’s home crowd. However, despite their lead, Arsenal still showed signs of the attacking struggles that have troubled them all season, even beyond Bukayo Saka’s absence due to injury.
On the other side, Chelsea’s problems in front of goal were just as clear. Without their injured strikers, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, they lacked a strong attacking presence. Their situation got worse when Cole Palmer was ruled out before the match, leaving Chelsea without their top goal-scorer.
As the game wore on, neither team could find much attacking rhythm, and Arsenal held on for the win. It wasn’t the most exciting match, but the three points were all that mattered for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Player of the Match: Martin Ødegaard
Arsenal player ratings saw David Raya receive 8.2, Jurrien Timber 7.7, William Saliba and Gabriel both 7.2, Myles Lewis-Skelly 7.1, Martin Ødegaard 8.0, Thomas Partey 7.0, Declan Rice 7.2, Gabriel Martinelli 7.4, Mikel Merino 7.5, and Leandro Trossard 6.9. Substitutes Ethan Nwaneri and Kieran Tierney were rated 6.3 and N/A respectively. Unused substitutes included Neto, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Riccardo Calafiori, Jorginho, and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.
Chelsea’s ratings had Robert Sanchez at 6.4, Wesley Fofana 6.5, Levi Colwill 7.0, Benoît Badiashile 6.9, Marc Cucurella 6.6, Reece James 6.5, Moises Caicedo 7.1, Enzo Fernández 6.1, Jadon Sancho 6.5, Pedro Neto 5.7, and Christopher Nkunku 6.2. Substitutes Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyrique George both received 6.2, while Romeo Lavia, Malo Gusto, and Tosin Adarabioyo were not rated. Unused substitutes included Filip Jorgensen, Marcus Bettinelli, Josh Acheampong, and Trevoh Chalobah.
Arsenal may not have been at their best, but they took advantage of Chelsea’s weaknesses and grabbed an important win.