Arsenal F.C. scored twice from corners to defeat 10-man Chelsea F.C. 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The victory helped restore their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
It moved Arsenal to 64 points, easing the pressure after Manchester City F.C. had briefly cut the gap to two points with a win on Saturday.
First-Half Corner Drama
After a cautious opening, Arsenal broke the deadlock in the 21st minute through a well-worked corner routine. Bukayo Saka’s delivery was headed back across goal by Gabriel Magalhaes, allowing William Saliba’s header to deflect off Mamadou Sarr’s arm and into the net.
Chelsea responded strongly and drew level just before halftime when Reece James’ corner was flicked on by Piero Hincapie and turned into his own goal.
Timber Restores Arsenal’s Lead
Chelsea began the second half with renewed urgency. However, Arsenal regained control in the 66th minute when Jurrien Timber headed in Declan Rice’s corner to restore the lead.
It marked Arsenal’s 16th goal from a corner this season.
Red Card And Late Drama
Chelsea’s hopes suffered a major setback when Pedro Neto was sent off with 20 minutes remaining after receiving a second yellow card for bringing down Gabriel Martinelli. The dismissal was Chelsea’s seventh red card in the league this season.
Manager Liam Rosenior had previously warned about such lapses, saying his team had too often “set fire” to valuable points.
Chelsea thought they had rescued a late point when Liam Delap bundled the ball into the net. However, the effort was ruled out for offside against Joao Pedro in the build-up.
League Standings
The result leaves Arsenal top of the Premier League on 64 points, five clear of Manchester City despite having played a game more.
Meanwhile, Chelsea is sixth with 45 points.
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