EMIRATES STADIUM — Arsenal edged a low-quality, high-aggro London derby against Chelsea in a game defined by its Spanish participants.
The spectacle was relatively interesting, but more so for the undercurrent threat of violence than for any real flair. Even the various skirmishes failed to truly catch fire.
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Palmer had started every Premier League game this season prior to Sunday’s capital clash but missed out due to a mystery muscle injury. It was only the second time in Chelsea’s last 36 league matches that Palmer’s name was missing from the teamsheet: both occasions were fixtures at the Emirates.
The Spaniard reclaimed his starting spot from Filip Jorgensen last weekend after a month on the bench but remains as unpredictable as ever. Arsenal targeted him on the floor with their high press and in the air with their high balls, earning success with both tactics early on.
Merino’s header ended a Gunners drought: it was their first set-piece goal in 13 games since Dominic Solanke’s own goal in the north London derby two months ago. It also ended a mini-dry spell for the makeshift striker who had drawn blanks in three successive league games.
“He wants to understand everything, he wants to learn from it, he’s very critical of himself all the time and at the end, the reality is that he’s winning football matches for us, which is incredible,” Arteta said.
Marc Cucurella’s volley lacked punch but Raya inexplicably let the ball squirm through his grasp like it was a greasy bar of soap, turning around aghast to watch it spin agonisingly away from his bottom corner. It was a “strange save,” as his manager charitably put it.
Arteta says Chelsea ‘are the best attacking team in the league by a mile’ (Photo: Getty)Both teams were missing key players, but the standard didn’t match their respective league positions of 2nd and 4th.
Enzo Maresca bemoaned the absence of his three top scorers Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, a trio that have contributed over half of Chelsea’s goal tally in the league.
Still, given the expenditure that has taken place during the Clearlake Capital era it is reasonable to expect more quality. They ended with an expected goal (xG) value of just 0.35, which made Arteta’s post-match claim that they are the “best attacking team in the league by a mile,” seem charitable in the extreme.
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Wesley Fofana committed three fouls – including a deliberate-looking stamp on Declan Rice – before finally earning a booking for chucking an extra ball on the pitch like a mischievous mascot.
Gabriel Magalhaes committed the most reckless of Arsenal’s challenges, but the home side were cuter in their disruption, breaking up counter-attacks rather than sinking studs into unusual places.
With a four-point buffer on Nottingham Forest and a nine-point gap on Chelsea, Arsenal will feel confident of securing a third straight runners-up finish, with Bukayo Saka’s anticipated return after the international break sure to provide a much-needed lift.
Arsenal sorely miss Saka’s capacity for magic, and will hope he can take part in their Champions League double-header with Real Madrid in April.
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