Every corner at the Emirates feels like half a goal, and that's precisely how league leaders Arsenal secured another three points, overcoming one of their toughest hurdles en route to the Premier League title. They maintained their five-point lead over Manchester City. Chelsea, despite periods of dominance and a late scare from Garnacho, even had a Liam Delap goal disallowed for offside.
In a tightly contested match, the first real chance came in the 11th minute from a free-kick. Pedro Neto delivered the ball to Sarr, who, in an excellent unmarked position, failed to connect properly, sending his shot wide.
The game was proving incredibly difficult for Mikel Arteta's side, but as they say, every corner is half a goal, and the deadlock was broken from a set-piece. Arsenal being... Arsenal. Saka whipped in a ball to the far post, Saliba headed it, and Sarr inadvertently deflected it into his own net with his arm.
Chelsea tried to respond but lost much of their aggression. In fact, Arsenal came closer to a second goal when Eze fumbled control at the edge of the box and couldn't even get a shot away.
Chelsea's equalizer came from a corner. The first attempt was brilliantly saved by Raya, with shouts for a penalty. From the second, an unfortunate deflection off Hincapié found its way in. Both goals originating from set-pieces.
In the second half, Raya denied Chelsea a second goal. Another corner, this time from Reece James, saw Chalobah head towards goal, but the Arsenal goalkeeper produced another superb save.
Time was ticking, and Arsenal struggled to regain their rhythm, even the home crowd's intensity waned. But Arsenal's set-pieces are simply unstoppable: a free-kick for Declan Rice was parried for a corner by Robert Sánchez. The England international stepped up again, delivering a pinpoint ball to Timber's head, who restored the leader's advantage precisely when they were under the most pressure.
Another confident stride towards the title for a team that has handled pressure admirably and turned set-pieces into a lethal weapon. Credit also goes to Raya, a goalkeeper who never falters in decisive moments. Last night, he saved his team in the 90+3 minute when Garnacho came close to an equalizer with a dangerous cross, only for Raya to produce an incredible save.