Arsenal Analysed: 5 reasons why we beat Chelsea

Sunday afternoon saw us triumph against Chelsea at Emirates Stadium, with Mikel Merino popping up with the game's telling moment to clinch a 1-0 victory.

But what were the key reasons for the win? Adrian Clarke has delved into the stats and footage to unearth why we managed to secure all three points against the Blues:

A super set piece

The only goal came from our first Premier League strike from a corner kick in 51 attempts. We had not scored from one since January 15, in our north London derby success at home to Tottenham, but Merino’s clever finish decided matters. Pleasingly, it was a new set piece that served up this decisive moment, and one that completely bamboozled Enzo Maresca’s side.

Sensing Chelsea were happy to mark man-to-man rather than going zonal, we intelligently dragged a whole host of blue shirts into the near post domain. This ‘cluster’ tactic helped to block goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in, and it also acted as a great distraction for the 1v1 Merino had set up with Reece James elsewhere in the box.

All that was needed was Merino to escape James’ attention and meet Martin Odegaard’s near-post cross ahead of the pack at the near post. Timing his sprint to perfection, Merino arrived ahead of flat-footed Christopher Nkunku, flicking a looping header into an empty far corner. It was the only time we attempted this ploy, and it could not have been executed more smartly.

Since the start of last season, we have opened the scoring with a goal from a corner on 11 occasions in the Premier League. This is more than any other side. Our 27 goals from corners in this period are also a league-high, an impressive ten higher than any other top-flight team.

Super Merino

As well as scoring the winner, Merino also showed remarkably high levels of off-the-ball industry. The Spaniard never seems to stop running, and his willingness to close down Chelsea’s players shone brightly.

Merino’s athletic data and pressing numbers were by some distance the highest of all the players involved in this fixture. Despite playing as our centre forward, he even made more pressures inside our own defensive third than any of his teammates.

Unlucky not to score a second, courtesy of a terrific second-half volley, Merino had a very impactful match.

Doing the damage early

A fast start set us on our way to a third successive home victory against Chelsea. After 30 minutes Mikel Arteta’s side had averaged 64% possession, enjoying 10 touches inside the Blues’ penalty area.

During this assertive spell, Chelsea did not have a single touch in the box. By the half hour mark, we also led the shot count 6-1.

Shot Map: 0-30 minutes

For the final hour this match looked a lot different from a tactical perspective. Maresca’s men monopolised 80% of the ball in the 15 minutes before half time, and in the second half they had 63% possession.

In truth though, we were put under very little duress. Staying in our shape, rarely pulled out of position, Chelsea only managed 0.36 xG, their lowest this season, along with eight shots, which was a joint-low for them in 2024/25. Our back four defended excellently, offering the visitors next to no encouragement.

ESCAPING markers

The Blues man-marked us all over the pitch during the early phase of this contest, so to counter that we deliberately dragged blue shirts into unusual positions. James never left Declan Rice’s side, so our record signing opted to make a stream of unselfish runs that took his England teammate away from central midfield –freeing up space for others.

This David Raya kick gives you an indication of the varied movement we applied. Drifting away from the right wing, Gabriel Martinelli shows for a pass on the left of midfield, pulling Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill (out of shot) with him in the process:

When Raya goes long, he sees a 2v2 with Rice and Leandro Trossard up against midfielder James and right-back Wesley Fofana. Over on the right wing, Merino has dragged the other central defender Benoit Badiashile:

This was a smart way to remove both defenders from their usual positions ahead of a long pass from back to front. Seconds after this piece of play, and with Maresca’s back four completely displaced, keeper Sanchez passed the ball straight to Martinelli, who had a shot on goal.

There were similar examples scattered right across the encounter. Rice was often the chief decoy, making a match-high 33 off-the-ball runs, that his marker James had no choice but to follow. His running power gave teammates extra room and wobbled the Chelsea defence.

GABBY IS BACK

This was Martinelli’s first start since early February, and the Brazilian made a tremendous impact on the right of our attack. Looking sharp, he popped up as a second striker on the inside of Jurrien Timber plenty of times early on, as we raided down the right as a matter of course. In the first half, 53% of our attacks were built down that flank.

Attacking Thirds – Arsenal 1st Half

Across an impressive 79-minute outing, Martinelli almost scored a couple of goals, his searing pace causing Chelsea numerous issues, and his crossing was terrific too. This pinpoint delivery for Merino very nearly helped us score the second goal our performance deserved:

With Ethan Nwaneri in superb form, and Bukayo Saka getting closer to a return from injury, our right-sided options are looking a lot healthier. This display has certainly put Martinelli in the frame to start against Fulham when we return from the international break.