Arsenal won their set-piece battle with 10-man Chelsea as Jurrien Timber sealed the Premier League leaders` crucial 2-1 victory over their London rivals on Sunday. Mikel Arteta`s side struck twice from corners and also conceded from the same route in a match that underlined the increasing importance of set-pieces in the Premier League.
William Saliba`s first goal since December 2024 put Arsenal ahead in the first half at the Emirates Stadium. Piero Hincapie`s own goal drew Chelsea level from one of Reece James` deadly corners just before the break. But Timber won a priceless three points for Arsenal with his second-half header before Chelsea winger Pedro Neto was sent off for a second booking.
The Gunners` second successive league win reestablished their five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand and had closed the gap with a 1-0 victory at Leeds on Saturday. After enduring scathing criticism of their mentality during a recent wobble that breathed new life into the title race, Arsenal have got back on track just in time as they followed last weekend`s 4-1 rout of Tottenham with a far more tense triumph. Arsenal travel to Brighton on Wednesday with nine games left in their bid to win a first English title since 2004.
The Gunners, through to the League Cup final, the Champions League last 16 and the FA Cup fifth round, have just one top-flight match left against sides currently in the top six — a potentially decisive trip to Manchester City on April 18. Chelsea`s third consecutive game without a win was a blow to their bid to qualify for next season`s Champions League. They dropped to sixth place after losing to Arsenal for the third time in Liam Rosenior`s brief reign. Robert Sanchez nearly gifted Arsenal an early goal when the Chelsea goalkeeper stumbled under pressure from Viktor Gyokeres, but he managed a last-ditch clearance to avert the danger.
Timber makes his mark
When Sanchez gave the ball away with another nervous clearance, Rosenior held his head in frustration. Arteta prayed on Chelsea`s weakness at the back to take the lead with one of set-piece coach Nicolas Jover`s trademark routines in the 21st minute. Gabriel Magalhaes towered above Reece James and Joao Pedro to nod Bukayo Saka`s corner into the six-yard box, where Saliba`s goal-bound header deflected in off Chelsea`s Mamadou Sarr.
Chelsea have conceded eight goals from set-pieces in Rosenior`s first 13 matches and four of those have been against Arsenal. But the Blues got their revenge on the stroke of half-time. Arsenal were given a warning when James` corner hit Declan Rice`s shoulder, forcing David Raya to make a superb save. But they didn`t learn the lesson and from the resulting corner, James` inswinger was headed into his own net by Hincapie.
Arsenal remained vulnerable from James` corners and Joao Pedro should have done better than head straight at Raya before nodding wide from another of the Chelsea captain`s teasing set-pieces. Those misses proved costly for Chelsea as Arsenal once again showed their own set-piece prowess in the 66th minute. Timber made a perfectly timed run to head home from Rice`s corner, with Chelsea`s furious appeals for a foul on Sanchez failing to get the goal overturned.
It was the 16th league goal scored from a corner by the Gunners this season and their jubilant fans celebrated by chanting “set-piece again, ole, ole”. Neto, booked for protesting in the aftermath of Timber`s goal, rashly took out his frustration on Gabriel Martinelli, chopping down the Arsenal winger to earn his marching orders in the 70th minute. Arsenal still needed a brilliant stoppage-time save from Raya to deny Alejandro Garnacho before they could celebrate.
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