Arsenal battled their way to a scarcely convincing 1-0 win at home to a Chelsea side which proved to be even more inept in the attacking third on Sunday afternoon.
When Mikel Merino headed the Gunners into a 20th-minute lead, it threatened to pave the way for a one-sided stroll. Arsenal were well worth their lead. Making his first start in six weeks, Gabriel Martinelli offered some much-needed zip and fizz to his side’s flagging frontline.
Robert Sanchez’s painfully skittish approach to the art of goalkeeper only bolstered the hopes of a buoyant home crowd. Yet, Arsenal couldn’t shake the attacking struggles which have plagued the entire season – stretching beyond even Bukayo Saka’s injury absence – in one afternoon.
Fortunately for Mikel Arteta’s side, Chelsea have their own scoring issues. Enzo Maresca has been forced to forge forward without a recognised striker since Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both got injured in the same game. Cole Palmer was added to the list of absentees ahead of kick-off, blunting Chelsea’s toothless attack even further.
As each side’s limp attack intent fizzled out before it could even begin to catch flame, the game meandered to an Arsenal win.
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
|
Player |
Rating |
|---|---|
|
GK: David Raya |
8.2/10 |
|
RB: Jurrien Timber |
7.7/10 |
|
CB: William Saliba |
7.2/10 |
|
CB: Gabriel |
7.2/10 |
|
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly |
7.1/10 |
|
CM: Martin Odegaard (c) |
8.0/10 |
|
CM: Thomas Partey |
7.0/10 |
|
CM: Declan Rice |
7.2/10 |
|
RW: Gabriel Martinelli |
7.4/10 |
|
ST: Mikel Merino |
7.5/10 |
|
LW: Leandro Trossard |
6.9/10 |
|
SUB: Ethan Nwaneri (78′ for Martinelli) |
6.3/10 |
|
SUB: Kieran Tierney (90′ for Odegaard) |
N/A |
Subs not used: Neto (GK), Ben White, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Riccardo Calafiori, Jorginho, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
|
Player |
Rating |
|---|---|
|
GK: Robert Sanchez |
6.4/10 |
|
RB: Wesley Fofana |
6.5/10 |
|
CB: Levi Colwill |
7.0/10 |
|
CB: Benoit Badiashile |
6.9/10 |
|
LB: Marc Cucurella |
6.6/10 |
|
CM: Reece James (c) |
6.5/10 |
|
CM: Moises Caicedo |
7.1/10 |
|
AM: Enzo Fernandez |
6.1/10 |
|
RW: Jadon Sancho |
6.5/10 |
|
ST: Pedro Neto |
5.7/10 |
|
LW: Christopher Nkunku |
6.2/10 |
|
SUB: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (76′ for Sancho) |
6.2/10 |
|
SUB: Tyrique George (76′ for Nkunku) |
6.2/10 |
|
SUB: Romeo Lavia (82′ for James) |
N/A |
|
SUB: Malo Gusto (87′ for Fofana) |
N/A |
|
SUB: Tosin Adarabioyo (87′ for Badiashile) |
N/A |
Subs not used: Filip Jorgensen (GK), Marcus Bettinelli (GK), Josh Acheampong, Trevoh Chalobah.
