Premier League: Arsenal Edge Out Chelsea As Fulham Beat Tottenham
Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday, strengthening their grip on second place in the Premier League table.
Mikel Merino’s first-half header proved the difference in a cagey encounter, as the Gunners moved within 12 points of league leaders Liverpool.
For Chelsea, the defeat marked a significant blow to their hopes of securing a Champions League spot next season.
The absence of star playmaker Cole Palmer due to injury was sorely felt, as Enzo Maresca’s men struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Despite remaining fourth in the table, the Blues are now under pressure, with five teams, from Manchester City in fifth to Aston Villa in ninth, within touching distance.
Arsenal, on the other hand, showed resilience despite their attacking struggles in recent weeks. With Kai Havertz sidelined for the rest of the season, Merino was deployed in a makeshift centre-forward role and made his presence count, rising to meet Martin Odegaard’s corner in the 20th minute to guide the ball past Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea offered little in response, with their best opportunity coming from a fumble by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who nearly gifted them an equaliser when he failed to handle Marc Cucurella’s effort. At the other end, Sanchez produced a fine save to deny Merino a second, but Arsenal comfortably saw out the game to claim a crucial three points.
Reflecting on the victory, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta expressed satisfaction with his side’s performance.
“We did enough to deserve to win the game,” he said. “Now we have the international break, so we’ll take the opportunity to recover and hopefully bring back some key players.”
Chelsea manager Maresca, meanwhile, defended his side’s approach despite their lacklustre display. “There was not a big difference in the two games between us,” he insisted. “Given the injuries, we fought until the end.”
Fulham Punish Sluggish Tottenham
Elsewhere, Tottenham’s struggles continued as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Despite securing progression to the Europa League quarter-finals earlier in the week, Ange Postecoglou’s side failed to carry their momentum into domestic action, as their European exertions once again took a toll.
Spurs have now won just three of their last ten league games following a midweek Europa League fixture, with their inconsistency threatening to derail their push for a top-four finish.
Fulham had to wait until the 78th minute to break the deadlock, with Rodrigo Muniz calmly converting from Andreas Pereira’s pass.
The hosts doubled their lead late on, sealing a well-earned victory and moving into eighth place—just four points off the top four.
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min admitted his side had let another opportunity slip. “It’s been a difficult campaign for sure,” he said. “We’ve lost too many games that we should have got something from, and this was one of them.”
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
