EPL: Timber header earns Arsenal crucial win over Chelsea
Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top
Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table on Sunday.
Jurrien Timber's 66th -minute header from a Declan Rice corner ensured Arsenal took three precious points but it was an afternoon of nerves in north London.
It was far from pretty but Mikel Arteta's side, and the fans who squirmed through the closing minutes, will not care about that as a first title since 2004 edged a little closer.
Arsenal moved to 64 points from 29 games with sole chasers Manchester City, who have played a game fewer, on 59.
Defender William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead in the 21st minute from a trademark corner routine.
But it had looked as though an own goal by Piero Hincapie just before halftime would prove costly for the hosts until Timber came to their rescue, although it needed a superb last-gasp save by David Raya to preserve the points.
"My heart almost stopped at the end," a relieved Arteta told reporters. "We had to go through difficult patches to earn the right to win the game. When you see how teams are playing, everyone is suffering."
Chelsea lost for the first time in seven league matches under new manager Liam Rosenior and suffered a seventh red card of the league season as Pedro Neto was dismissed in the 70th minute.
"We need to do something (about the red cards) for sure," Rosenior said. "Because it's not acceptable."
season in the Premier League, the joint-most by any side in a single campaign.
Arsenal fans will hope the remaining nine games of the Premier League run-in are less fraught than this one.
A grinding display extended their unbeaten league run against Chelsea to nine games as they resorted to the tactic that has served them so well this season.
Both their goals came from corners, meaning Arsenal have now scored 16 times from that route this
There were puffed cheeks all around the ground as the referee blew the final whistle after a period of stoppage time that Arsenal spent hanging on against Chelsea's 10 men.
Last weekend's drubbing of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur had eased the mounting pressure caused by Arsenal's wavering form. But sixth-placed Chelsea proved a far sterner test as they sought to boost their hopes of a top-five finish.
Arsenal got ahead when captain Bukayo Saka's deep corner was headed across the six-yard area by Gabriel and fellow defender Saliba nodded goal wards with the ball going in off Chelsea's Mamadou Sarr, although Saliba was credited with the goal.
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They looked in control during the first half but wobbled before halftime as they got a taste of their own medicine.
Raya had just made a reflex save to keep out Jorrel Hato's header but from an almost identical corner swung in by Reece James he was helpless as the ball skimmed off the head of Hincapie and into the net.
The nerves really began to fray in the second half as Chelsea looked the more threatening side with Enzo Fernandez forcing Raya to turn his low shot around the post and then Joao Pedro heading the resulting corner straight at him.
When Rice's corner left Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez floundering, Timber restored Arsenal's lead and when Neto stupidly got himself sent off with a first a yellow card for dissent and another for a foul on Gabriel Martinelli it looked as though Arsenal could breathe easier.
But Chelsea ended strongly and substitute Alejandro Garnacho's cross deceived everyone and was creeping in before Raya clawed it out. Even then there was more nail-biting as Liam Delap poked in from close range but Arsenal were saved by an offside flag rightfully shown against Joao Pedro.
