"SET-PIECE AGAIN": WHY ARSENAL FANS ARE TAUNTING RIVALS WITH THEIR NEW CHANT.
William Saliba and Jurrien Timber headers secured a vital win for Arsenal as Chelsea finished with ten men at the Emirates.
Arsenal found the net twice from corners and let one in the same way, a clear sign of just how much set pieces matter in the Premier League these days.
William Saliba got Arsenal going with his first goal since December, putting them ahead at the Emirates. But Arsenal didn’t hold the lead for long. Just before halftime, Piero Hincapie scored an own goal from one of Reece James’ wicked corners, pulling Chelsea level.
After the break, Timber popped up with a crucial header, sealing three points for Arsenal. Things got worse for Chelsea when Pedro Neto saw red for a second yellow.
With this win, Arsenal’s second in a row, they stretched their lead over Manchester City back to five points. City still has a game in hand after edging Leeds 1-0 on Saturday, but Arsenal keeps the pressure on.
People were starting to question Arsenal’s nerve after a rough patch that reopened the title race. But they’ve bounced back at just the right time. Last weekend, they smashed Tottenham 4-1. This time, they ground out a much tighter victory.
Now, Arsenal heads to Brighton on Wednesday, with just nine games left as they chase their first league title since 2004.
They’re still fighting on all fronts, too: League Cup final, Champions League last 16, and FA Cup fifth round. And here’s a break for Arteta: they only have one more league game against a top-six side, and it’s a big one: a trip to Manchester City on April 18.
For Chelsea, things are going the other way. That’s three games without a win, and their Champions League hopes just took another hit. They’re down to sixth, and they’ve now lost to Arsenal three times since Liam Rosenior took charge.
Chelsea almost handed Arsenal an early present when Robert Sanchez, under pressure from Viktor Gyokeres, nearly fumbled the ball away. Somehow, he recovered just in time.
But Sanchez looked shaky again soon after, and Rosenior could only watch in disbelief. Arsenal sensed blood and struck first, using one of the set-piece coach Nicolas Jover’s clever routines. Gabriel Magalhaes rose above everyone to head Bukayo Saka’s corner across the six-yard box, where Saliba finished it off, though it needed a deflection off Mamadou Sarr to find the net.
Set pieces are haunting Rosenior’s Chelsea. That’s eight goals conceded from dead balls in his first 13 matches; four of those were against Arsenal alone.
Chelsea did hit back, though. Right before the break, Reece James’ corner bounced off Declan Rice’s shoulder, forcing a sharp save from David Raya. Arsenal didn’t heed the warning. From the next corner, James whipped it in again, and Hincapie headed it into his own net.
The danger didn’t stop there. James kept swinging corners in, and Joao Pedro missed two decent chances, one straight at Raya and another wide of the mark.
Those missed chances cost Chelsea. In the 66th minute, Arsenal struck again from a corner. Timber timed his run perfectly and headed home from Rice’s delivery. Chelsea shouted for a foul on Sanchez, but the goal stood.
That’s 16 goals from corners for Arsenal this season. Their fans loved it, singing, “Set-piece again, ole, ole.”
Not long after, Neto lost his cool, clattering Gabriel Martinelli and picking up a second yellow. That left Chelsea with ten men for the final stretch.
Arsenal still needed one more big save from Raya in stoppage time to deny Alejandro Garnacho, but once that danger passed, the celebration really began.
WHAT IS THE "AURA" MIKEL ARTETA SEES IN BUKAYO SAKA’S RECENT PERFORMANCES?
"He shifts momentum." Read Mikel Arteta’s full analysis of Bukayo Saka’s importance ahead of the crucial West Ham showdown.
Mikel Arteta sees something special in Bukayo Saka’s presence on the pitch, an “aura” that he believes could drive Arsenal toward a Premier League title, just three games away from ending a 22-year wait.
During Saka’s recent absence with an Achilles injury, Arsenal managed only a single win in five matches. His return, however, seemed to breathe new life into the squad. Saka set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener before scoring himself in a solid 3-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
More crucially, Saka netted the decisive goal that helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid, booking their first Champions League final appearance since 2006.
Since making his debut for the Gunners seven years ago, the England international now carries the hopes of pushing Arsenal for vital points, starting with a key clash against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium, followed by matches against Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away on the season’s final day.
When asked about Saka’s importance, Arteta highlighted the growing role he plays not just within the team but also in how opponents see him. There’s a clear presence, a certain quality that sets him apart. According to Arteta, Saka can shift a game’s momentum at any time, and instilling that kind of respect or even fear in the opposition is invaluable.
Arteta also touched on managing Saka’s comeback after injury, emphasising the idea of channelling fresh energy and motivation into his performance rather than rushing him back too soon. He described it as a privilege to have a player like Saka, someone who embodies core values and principles, both on and off the pitch. Beyond the football, there’s a human connection that makes working with him rewarding. What Saka showed, especially in the recent Champions League semifinal, was nothing short of remarkable.
Alongside Saka, Declan Rice has also become a pivotal figure since his £100 million move from West Ham last year. Now 27, Rice will make his 59th appearance of the season when Arsenal faces his former club on Sunday. His impact has been significant, earning him runner-up in the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award behind Bruno Fernandes.
Arteta praised Rice as a key leader and a major force for the team, underlining the powerful role he plays as Arsenal chase success this season.
WHY DID JURRIEN TIMBER’S "SIMPLE" INJURY TURN INTO A SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL MYSTERY?
After reaching the Champions League final, Arsenal face a fitness race for key stars ahead of their clash with West Ham.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are running out of time to get fit before the season ends – a tough setback for Arsenal right now.
Both have been out for weeks, dealing with foot and ankle injuries. The hope was always that they’d be back for the final stretch, giving Arsenal a boost when it matters most. This week, Merino at least made it back onto the training pitch, but Arteta has confirmed neither he nor Timber will be involved in Sunday’s big match against West Ham.
Arteta said he has no new injury problems elsewhere, but for Merino or Timber to play before the end of the season, their recoveries would have to be almost perfect. Timber’s situation in particular has turned out to be more complicated than they first thought.
“That’s probably been the hardest part for everyone. For me, for the player,” Arteta said. “We really didn’t think it would take this long, and he’s still not ready.”
Meanwhile, things are going well for Arsenal on the pitch. They’ve pulled five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and they just beat Atletico Madrid, booking a spot in their first Champions League final in two decades.
There’s still a twist, though. Manchester City play Brentford first this weekend, and they still have a game in hand. Even so, if Arsenal win their last three matches, the title is theirs.
Next up is West Ham, who are fighting to avoid relegation and could easily trip Arsenal up. Arteta knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups. “After the Atletico win, I was completely caught up in the emotion. You could feel what it meant to everyone fans and the staff. But straight after, my focus went to West Ham,” he said.
“We talked as a team about how we’ve earned the chance to be in the final, and we have time to get ready, but right now, all our focus and all the details need to go into West Ham.”
