The only goal of the game came in the 20th minute when Merino rose highest to meet Martin Odegaard\u2019s corner, sending a powerful header past Chelsea\u2019s goalkeeper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The goal ended Arsenal\u2019s long run without scoring from a corner, a streak that had stretched for months. It also marked their 15th set-piece goal of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chelsea, missing key attacker Cole Palmer due to injury, struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arsenal dominated possession and nearly doubled their lead when a penalty appeal for a Marc Cucurella handball was waved away by the referee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite Chelsea’s slow start, they had a chance to equalize in the 35th minute when Cucurella\u2019s strike almost sneaked past David Raya, but the Arsenal goalkeeper reacted quickly to keep his team ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second half saw fewer goal-scoring opportunities but was filled with physical battles. Seven yellow cards were handed out as both teams fought aggressively for every ball. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Arsenal came close to scoring again when Merino found himself in front of goal, but Chelsea\u2019s goalkeeper denied him with a sharp save at the near post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chelsea\u2019s struggles in attack were evident as they managed just one weak header on target in the second half. Without a natural striker on the field, both teams found it hard to convert their chances into goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was full of praise for Merino, who stepped up in an unfamiliar role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It was an emergency situation for us, but the way he approached it was incredible. He wants to learn, improve, and help the team,” Arteta said. “He has never played in this role before, but he is winning us games.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arteta also highlighted Arsenal\u2019s defensive performance, praising the team’s ability to stop Chelsea\u2019s attacking threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “They are one of the best attacking teams in the league. But today, we defended well, worked hard, and deserved the win.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the defeat, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca remained optimistic about his team\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Compared to the first leg against Arsenal, we have improved a lot. We are on the right path, and we are very close to competing at the highest level,” Maresca said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He pointed out that injuries have affected Chelsea\u2019s attacking power, with key forwards missing from the squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Without Palmer, Jackson, and Madueke, we struggled in attack. But we are still among the best attacking teams in the league, which shows we are doing something right.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n With this win, Arsenal kept their title hopes alive and maintained pressure on Liverpool. The Gunners now look forward to their next fixtures as they aim to overtake the league leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Chelsea, the defeat was another setback in their inconsistent season. However, Maresca remains confident that his team will be a major threat next season once key players return from injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more updates on the English Premier League, stay tuned to Bangbet News Tanzania<\/strong>. We bring you the latest sports news, match reports, and expert predictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to make the most of your football knowledge? Bet on Bangbet Tanzania today!<\/strong> We offer the best odds on EPL matches and other leagues worldwide. Check out our match predictions and place your bets with confidence. Join Bangbet Tanzania now and start winning!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Arsenal secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Chelsea in an intense London derby on Sunday. A first-half header from Mikel Merino proved to be the difference in a game filled with energy, tension, and drama. The win helped the Gunners reduce Liverpool\u2019s lead at the top of the Premier League table. Merino\u2019s Header Breaks the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[150,149,112],"class_list":{"0":"post-4403","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football-news","8":"tag-arsenal","9":"tag-chelsea","10":"tag-english-premier-league"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4403"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4408,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4403\/revisions\/4408"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-44.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSecond Half Turns Into a Physical Battle<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Arteta Praises Match-Winner Merino<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bangbet.com\/tz\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-42-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMaresca: Chelsea Are on the Right Path<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What This Means for the Premier League Race<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stay Updated with Bangbet News Tanzania<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n