Top Guns: Arsenal Return To The Summit By Beating Chelsea At Stamford Bridge

Gabriel's goal proved the difference as Arsenal go top once again
14:20, 06 Nov 2022

Gabriel scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal made it a hat-trick of successive wins at Stamford Bridge to reclaim their spot at the top of the Premier League. 

Goal machine Erling Haaland’s dramatic last-gasp penalty, his 24th goal of the season already, to beat Fulham piled the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s Gunners ahead of the lunch-time London derby. 

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But Arsenal quickly regained their place at the summit, and a two-point cushion over Pep Guadiola’s champions, as they inflicted Graham Potter’s first home defeat since taking charge at the West London club. 

This derby has been a bitter rivalry with a storied history. You think back to the Ashley Cole transfer saga and the many fiery moments between managers Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger. 

Back then it was Chelsea who would regularly pick up the bragging rights, but there has been a colossal shift in the two club’s fortunes in recent times. 

It’s been complete role reversal this season with Arsenal showing their credentials as genuine title contenders, whilst Chelsea are scrapping for the top four. 

Fourth-place fights are in the rear-view mirror for Arteta’s Arsenal, who will head into the World Cup break with a healthy buffer over the chasing pack. 

Before this afternoon’s games, they have a tidy 11-point cushion over Manchester United and 13 points over Brighton and Chelsea. Liverpool are languishing even further behind. 

But there are more important things on the mind of the Arsenal hierarchy, with a first Premier League title in 18 years a real possibility after their impressive early-season form. 

The big question is whether or not they can sustain the pace against a City squad brimming with quality? 

Arsenal have shown what can be achieved if you stick with your manager, something other clubs in the top tier could learn a thing or two from. 

The North London club’s fans have called for Arteta’s head at times during his time at the helm at the Emirates. But they are now singing his name as the wins keep rolling in. 

And no-one, even the most die-hard Gunners’ fans, could have imagined they would be matching City blow for blow after the first third of the season. 

But for Chelsea the signs are worrying. They haven’t beaten a side in the top ten all season and fans must now be fearful the new manager bubble has already burst. 

It’s always a huge ask coming into a club mid-season, especially a club with a rich history and expectation as Chelsea. A manager needs time to get their message across, but the Blues looked clueless at times in this game, especially for a spell after going behind.  

The difference between the two sides was much greater than the slender 1-0 scoreline. And it’s now four games without a win for Potter’s charges and back-to-back defeats after last weekend’s 4-1 humbling at the hands of former, and bragging, club Brighton. 

Chelsea will need to quickly snap out of their rut when they travel to top-four gatecrashers Newcastle or it will be a long World Cup break for them. 

Former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was stripped of the armband by Arteta during his acrimonious departure, was desperate to play the party pooper, but he failed to make his mark at the Bridge. 

Misfiring Gabriel Jesus should have ended his goal drought on the half-hour mark when he nodded wide from an unmarked position in the box.

Arsenal started to up the ante on the hour mark, with Brazilian striker Jesus — who has now gone 637 minutes without a goal — denied by a good Edouard Mendy save at the near post. 

But his fellow countryman Gabriel got the huge goal for the Gunners. Bukayo Saka’s corner went through the Chelsea defence and could have been going straight in, but the defender made sure as he poked home from point-blank range to clinch the precious points.

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