close
Arsenal showed resilience and composure to oversee a 1-0 win against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday, March 16.
Despite being far from their best, the Gunners picked up three points to cut the gap to leaders Liverpool to 12 points after 29 matches apiece. Chelsea remain fourth with 49 points and trail their hosts by nine points.
Arsenal made a sound start to the contest and looked comfortable on the ball playing in front of their home fans. Early exchanges in the match showed how they were determined to catch Chelsea off-guard and try and score early. However, they were made to wait around 20 minutes before opening the scoring, with the goal coming from a corner kick.
Martin Odegaard provided the perfect delivery into the box and Mikel Merino adjusted his body really well to score despite the goal being behind him. Arsenal attempted another shot on target in the first period but could not convert, but at the same time did not let Chelsea create anything substantial. The Blues managed just one shot on target from five attempts and trailed at the break.
The second half saw Arsenal play a surprising style of football as they conceded even more possession to Chelsea. However, even with 37% of the ball, the Gunners looked formidable going forward and created more chances. They attempted five second-half shots, with two of those on target, forcing Robert Sanchez into making two saves.
Chelsea, on the other hand, failed to make the most of their dominance on the ball. Despite having it for lengthy spells, they were unable to create chances consistently as Arsenal dug deep and defended well. As a result, the hosts could comfortably see out the result despite being unable to add to their lead. The visitors, on the other hand, struggled in the final third.
On that note, here are Arsenal's player ratings.
Arsenal Player Ratings
David Raya - 7/10
Raya made one good save in either half to deny Chelsea any sniff of Arsenal's goal and earned a well-deserved clean sheet as well.
Jurrien Timber - 7.5/10
Timber was solid in defense as he won nine duels at the back, making three clearances, two interceptions and one tackle. He passed the ball with 88% accuracy.
William Saliba - 7/10
Saliba had a good game in defense as he won five duels, making four clearances, two blocks and two tackles.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 7.5/10
Gabriel was one of three Arsenal players booked by the referee. He won two duels, making five clearances, one block and one tackle.
Myles Lewis-Skelly - 7.5/10
Lewis-Skelly was solid on the Gunners' left side and won all four of his duels, making one tackle and one clearance as well. He also played one key pass.
Martin Odegaard - 7.5/10
Odegaard had a good game and provided an assist for his team's goal. He played two other key passes in a decent midfield performance and also won two duels.
Thomas Partey - 6.5/10
Partey had an average game in midfield and was also booked for a foul in the second half.
Declan Rice - 7.5/10
Rice passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including two key passes. He also won all four of his duels, making four clearances and two tackles.
Gabriel Martinelli - 7.5/10
Martinelli started on the right flank for Arsenal as he attempted three shots with one on target. He also played two key passes and won four duels as well.
Mikel Merino - 7.5/10
Merino scored the only goal of the game and attempted another shot on target as well. He also won five duels.
Leandro Trossard - 7/10
Trossard started on the left flank and put in a decent performance for the Gunners but failed top make an impact in front of goal.
Substitutes
Ethan Nwaneri - 6.5/10
He replaced the injured Martinelli and put in a decent cameo towards the end of the contest.
Kieran Tierney - N/A
He came on in the dying embers of the contest and does not warrant a rating.
Why did you not like this content?
Cancel Submit
Was this article helpful?
like selected
avatar selected
Thank You for feedback
Quick Links
More from Sportskeeda
Edited by Arnav Kholkar