Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: Merino nets winner as Gunners secure 3 points
Mikel Arteta's side headed into Sunday's derby
winless in their last three league games, though
they produced a much-needed response to
restore their four-point cushion over third-
placed Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea were without the injured Cole
Palmer for the first time in a Premier League
match since April 2024, when they were
hammered 5-0 by Arsenal in this exact fixture
last season at the Emirates.
The visitors' lack of attacking threat without
Palmer was noticeable as Enzo Maresca's side
failed to escape their own half before waves of
home pressure found a deserved reward in the
20th minute.
Makeshift striker Merino headed in the opener
from Martin Odegaard's corner, though Leandro
Trossard, Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli had
all already gone close to breaching Robert
Sanchez's goal.
Arsenal's win leaves them 12 points adrift of
runaway leaders Liverpool, while Chelsea remain
fourth – just a point clear of fifth-placed
Manchester City and two ahead of Newcastle
United, who have a game hand.
