9:30 AM ET
James OlleySenior Writer, ESPN FC
LONDON -- Arsenal returned to the apical of the Premier League courtesy of a 1-0 win implicit London rivals Chelsea astatine Stamford Bridge connected Sunday.
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Gabriel enactment Arsenal up connected 63 minutes with his 2nd extremity of the play to settee a hard-fought crippled and crown Mikel Arteta's 150th lucifer successful charge. The triumph marked a 3rd triumph successful a enactment astatine Stamford Bridge for Arteta's men, who reestablished their two-point vantage implicit Manchester City with 1 lucifer to spell earlier the league breaks for the World Cup.
ESPN's James Olley has absorption and investigation from Stamford Bridge.
JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures
Rapid reaction
1. Statement triumph puts Arsenal backmost connected top
Perhaps the authorization was the astir awesome thing. Arsenal lone bushed Chelsea by a solitary Gabriel extremity but they played with a condemnation and intent which has antecedently been thing of a rarity successful games distant from location against the accepted "Big Six."
Chelsea person had wounded problems nether manager Graham Potter, inactive acclimatising to his caller role, but this was nevertheless a triumph which underlined the prime and clarity with which Mikel Arteta has rebuilt Arsenal. This was the Gunners' 3rd successive triumph astatine Stamford Bridge, but connected their 2 erstwhile visits, they had 32% possession. On Sunday, that fig roseate to 56% (it was 61% astatine half-time) arsenic Arsenal imposed themselves connected Chelsea to the grade they ended with an xG of 2.11 to Chelsea's 0.26.
There was besides a propensity for the Arsenal of aged to endure a nervy finale riddled with errors and self-doubt but determination was nary of that here. They are present 13 points wide of Chelsea, backmost connected apical of the Premier League and harmless successful the cognition if they triumph astatine struggling Wolves adjacent week they volition enactment determination during the World Cup break.
2. Arsenal permission Aubameyang further behind
If this lucifer served arsenic thing of a referendum connected whether Arsenal were close to jettison Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang successful specified unceremonious circumstances backmost successful January past determination was lone 1 winner. The 33-year-old was allowed to articulation Barcelona connected a escaped transportation aft a breakdown successful relations with Arteta, who believed the striker's deficiency of professionalism was undermining the maturation of his team.
How the Gunners person grown successful his absence. Aubameyang was hardly helped by an highly disjointed show from Chelsea but helium touched the shot conscionable 8 times -- by acold the fewest of anyone connected the transportation by the clip of his 64th-minute substitution. His lone meaningful contributions were a blocked changeable aft William Saliba's mistake aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional and a precocious tackle connected Ben White, for which helium was booked and prompted an apoplectic absorption from Arteta connected the touchline.
The Arsenal brag made a immense judgement telephone to merchandise Aubameyang, and the contrasting fortunes of some parties since lone vindicates him. Contrast his engagement with Gabriel Jesus, his effectual replacement: 62 touches from 90 minutes.
3. Chelsea's full-back issues
The deficiency of consistently acceptable and disposable first-choice full-backs became a large contented for ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel. Potter is inactive moving retired his champion lineup but the dual lack of Reece James and Ben Chilwell were keenly felt present fixed the alternatives were Cesar Azpilicueta and Marc Cucurella.
Arsenal pressed the shot good successful cardinal areas, meaning Chelsea's centre-backs could not find midfielders Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jorginho to physique attacks, resulting successful the location broadside often being forced retired wide to physique play. Cucurella has struggled to enforce himself since a £62 cardinal summertime determination from Brighton portion Azpilicueta is simply a nine fable but looks susceptible to a squad arsenic youthful and dynamic arsenic Arsenal.
In different marked quality betwixt these 2 sides astatine present, White continues to thrive astatine right-back portion Oleksandr Zinchenko was fantabulous successful his archetypal crippled since Oct. 1 pursuing a calf injury. And they person Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares successful reserve.
Player ratings
Chelsea: Mendy 6, Azpilicueta 5, Chalobah 6, Silva 6, Cucurella 5, Loftus-Cheek 5, Jorginho 6, Sterling 5, Havertz 5, Mount 7, Aubameyang 5.
Subs: Broja 6, Gallagher 5, Kovacic 6, Pulisic 6.
Arsenal: Ramsdale 6, White 8, Gabriel 8, Saliba 8, Zinchenko 8, Odegaard 7, Partey 8, Xhaka 7, Saka 7, Jesus 7, Martinelli 7.
Subs: Tierney 6, Elneny 6, Holding 6.
Best and worst performers
BEST: William Saliba
Recovered the shot 13 times (a lucifer precocious alongside Thomas Partey) and his centre-back pairing with Gabriel continues to spell from spot to strength.
WORST: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The erstwhile Arsenal striker was the absorption of astir each the prematch build-up but failed to marque his mark.
After the match: What the players and managers said
Mikel Arteta: "We are [in contention] today. But successful football, contiguous and time is simply a precise different. So let's bask tonight. Do something: conscionable look astatine the past six years, what Manchester City person done. With the champion manager successful the world, the champion squad successful the world. They person shown it consistently successful each azygous competition. We person to beryllium precise very respectful of that. We are getting overmuch amended arsenic a squad and competing overmuch better. We are getting truly bully results close now, but this is simply a long, agelong [season]."
Gabriel connected Twitter: "NOTHING PERSONAL .. LONDON IS RED" -- the Arsenal defender taunted Aubameyang by mimicking the striker's prematch promotional video for BT Sport successful which helium said: "Arsenal, thing personal. I'm back, I'm blue, I'm ready. Let's go."
Key stats (via ESPN Stats & Info)
Arsenal person won 3 consecutive Premier League games against opponents from the Big Six for the archetypal clip since April 2012.
Chelsea person present mislaid back-to-back Premier League matches, and they person lone registered 2 points retired of a imaginable 12 successful their past 4 games successful the competition.
Gabriel has scored 9 goals from country situations successful the Premier League, the astir of immoderate subordinate successful the contention since helium joined for the 2020-21 season.
Aubameyang lone had 8 touches of the shot successful his 64 minutes connected the pitch. Kai Havertz, who was substituted astatine the aforesaid time, had the next-fewest touches for an outfield subordinate with 35.
Up next
Chelsea: Wednesday's travel to look Manchester City successful the Carabao Cup volition apt spot galore changes made to the XIs of some sides. It volition springiness immoderate Chelsea players a accidental to remainder and others the accidental to impressment up of Saturday's sojourn to Newcastle United, which looks apt to person plentifulness of implications for the top-four race.
Arsenal: The Gunners big Brighton & Hove Albion astatine the Emirates successful the Carabao Cup successful midweek, earlier they question to play Wolverhampton Wanderers, wherever caller manager Julen Lopetegui volition beryllium taking complaint of his archetypal Premier League lucifer astatine Molineux.
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