December 23, 2024

Chelsea 0-1 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened

Arsenal #Arsenal

6.03pm EDT 18:03

For differing reasons, then, neither manager leaves the Bridge happy tonight. But Arsenal fans will take that, as their side complete a first league double over Chelsea for 17 years. Jacob Steinberg’s report is here; clickity click! Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.

Emile Smith Rowe pounces as Arsenal edge out distracted Chelsea

Updated at 7.36pm EDT

5.57pm EDT 17:57

Mikel Arteta, beyond furious, talks to Sky. “Nothing is broken. Inside nothing is broken. They will try to put things on me that I never said. You can see the spirit of the team from the first minute. You can see that. You can never doubt their efforts and how much they try. I said that if I don’t get 120 percent off each player, it is my fault and my responsibility. And it wasn’t like that in the press, and I am so annoyed with that. My players I will defend in front of anybody for the rest of the time that I am here, because they deserve that, because they earn it every single day. I don’t deserve that. The players give me everything every single day. I am really happy with a lot of things that we have done tonight. We had to dig in. We did it. I know the chemistry we have, not only with the players but all the coaching staff and the board. They cannot touch that. And if they try to touch it, it can be with opinions, but not with something that I never said. I am not taking that, and it’s the first time I have to make my point.”

5.42pm EDT 17:42

The always-entertaining and extremely likeable Thomas Tuchel goes into full self-flagellation mode on Sky Sports. “It is totally our fault, nobody else’s. We lost the game, it is totally our responsibility. We had huge chances. We made more or less an own goal a total gift. Overall we were not sharp enough, we could not put up the same intensity as usual. Maybe it was too many changes from last match, and I take full responsibility for that. Maybe it is the last wake-up call for all of us. I felt it a little bit coming in training yesterday and I am a bit unlucky that it is proven today on the pitch. I regret … but it is like this, we could have, we could have, we could have but we didn’t. It is not on the schedule. We had three days, we had a good run and were in a good mood, but the choices were not so good on my side for the line-up so this is on me. We were unlucky but we did everything today to lose. I’m not happy with my line-up, I should not have done it like this. It is something in particular but I will not tell you!”

Updated at 5.43pm EDT

5.33pm EDT 17:33

Reece James speaks with no-nonsense honesty to Sky. “We made a mistake to lead to the goal and didn’t take our chances. We only have ourselves to look at for the loss, though on another day maybe the game goes differently. We had chances to put the game to bed early on, it was our own fault. The games come thick and fast, players come in and out, we all put in 100 percent, and you need to understand we’re going to get bad sometimes. It doesn’t affect us in any way, we are still fighting to win every game, and win every competition we’re in. Obviously it’s disappointing to lose, but we can’t take negativity into tomorrow’s session or days going forward.”

5.28pm EDT 17:28

Some hot post-match managerial chat coming up. But in the meantime, Jacob Steinberg’s report from Stamford Bridge has landed. You know what to do!

Emile Smith Rowe pounces as Arsenal edge out distracted Chelsea

5.21pm EDT 17:21

The super-promising Emile Smith-Rowe speaks to Sky. “It was an important result for us. We had to dig deep. it was a tough test. We worked on pressing in training this week, so we feel we did well to make them make a mistake. I’m just happy the goal went in, though it was a lucky finish! I just want to keep pushing on now for this fantastic club. Arsenal are my club. I’m so tired, but the team played well, we had to dig deep, and we’re happy with the three points. I think it showed our character, how much fight we have in us. After a tough season, it was a good performance. We’re working really hard, we’ve shown how good we can be, and we’ll keep pushing forward. I’m really happy with the result.”

5.18pm EDT 17:18

Chelsea will wonder how they lost that game. Arsenal’s goal was the result of a shocking error by Jorginho, Kai Havertz missed a one-on-one chance, and Kurt Zouma and Olivier Giroud both hit the bar within 0.000000023 seconds of each other in the dying moments of the match. It was one of those: they could have played all night but somehow seemed destined never to find the net. Arsenal were staunch defensively, mind you, with everyone putting in a shift. They can make a solid case that their win was totally deserved, too. Both stances are perfectly valid, and in any case, the internet’s all about searching for a greater truth in good faith, isn’t it.

5.14pm EDT 17:14

That’s a big result for several reasons. It’s Arsenal’s first win at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League since 2011, and completes their first double over Chelsea since 2004. It also sends Arsenal above Everton in the table, to eighth spot on 55 points. As for Chelsea, it’s not ideal preparation for the FA Cup final on Saturday, and this slight shock of a defeat keeps the top-four door ajar for West Ham United and Liverpool. Chelsea are still strong favourites to seal that particular deal, but their final two fixtures are against Leicester and Aston Villa, neither a gimme, and should the Hammers or the newly deposed champions string together a late sequence, nerves at the Bridge may start to lightly jangle.

5.10pm EDT 17:10

FULL TIME: Chelsea 0-1 Arsenal

Emile Smith-Rowe’s goal – gifted by Jorginho’s farcical mistake – decides this London derby!

Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny (left) and Emile Smith-Rowe celebrate the Gunners’ victory. Photograph: Andy Hooper/NMC Pool

Updated at 5.27pm EDT

5.09pm EDT 17:09

90 min +7: The corner’s half cleared. James swings the ball back in from the right. By the near post, Gabriel’s confused header drops to the feet of Jorginho, a couple of yards out! But the ball clanks out for a goal kick, and the Chelsea midfielder’s chance of redemption is gone!

5.08pm EDT 17:08

90 min +6: Ziyech sends a couple of Hail Marys into the Chelsea box. Arsenal scramble both clear. Chelsea come again, Pulisic dribbling down the right and winning a corner. James to take.

5.07pm EDT 17:07

90 min +5: You know, looks like there was a slight coming together between Partey and Hudson-Odoi there. But not enough for a VAR check to overturn the referee’s decision.

5.07pm EDT 17:07

90 min +4: Arsenal break. Lacazette charges down the middle. He slips a pass forward for Partey, who enters the box, goes over, and is booked for simulation.

5.06pm EDT 17:06

90 min +3: Chelsea win a corner down the right. It’s dealt with in a fuss-free fashion.

5.05pm EDT 17:05

90 min +2: Arsenal spend some time in the Chelsea half. It’s much needed, because they’re otherwise hanging on.

5.04pm EDT 17:04

90 min +1: Leno got a fingertip to Zouma’s header, you know. What a save! There will be six additional minutes, by the way.

5.03pm EDT 17:03

90 min: A looping ball into the Arsenal box from the right. Zouma flicks a diagonal header over Leno and towards the top right … but off the bar. Giroud reaches the rebound and lashes towards the same corner … and that one comes off the bar as well! Absurd! So unfortunate for the hosts!

Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma (second left) watches as his header smacks against the bar. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Pool/PA Then Olivier Giroud watches as his shot does the same. Photograph: Andy Hooper/NMC Pool

Updated at 5.30pm EDT

5.02pm EDT 17:02

89 min: Pusilic dribbles hard down the right. His cross evades Giroud. Pulisic comes again, and wins a corner down the same flank. Mount takes, and once again fails to beat the first man.

5.00pm EDT 17:00

88 min: Bellerin can’t continue, and he makes way for Chambers.

4.59pm EDT 16:59

87 min: Giroud spins into space down the left and creams a pass along the wing for Hudson-Odoi, who crosses deep. Arsenal are light at the back, and Pulisic meets the ball on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box. But he’s stretching, and the cross is slightly too far away, and he can only scoop gently into Leno’s arms.

4.57pm EDT 16:57

85 min: Mount’s delivery is dreadful, failing to beat the front man Lacazette. Chilwell returns the clearance in a directionless style, the ball sailing out for a goal kick. Bellerin comes back on.

4.56pm EDT 16:56

84 min: Bellerin eventually gets up. He’ll have to leave the field of play for the corner, though.

4.56pm EDT 16:56

83 min: Ziyech chips gracefully down the inside left, and nearly releases Hudson-Odoi into the Chelsea box. The pass is crucially dinked out of play for a corner by the outstretched leg of Bellerin. That’s a fine acrobatic intervention … and he may have done himself a mischief, because before the corner can be taken, he’s down getting treatment from the physio.

4.54pm EDT 16:54

81 min: A cross from the right. Giroud eyebrows this one harmlessly wide left. Another goal kick is taken, after a fashion, by Leno.

4.53pm EDT 16:53

80 min: Giroud earns himself half a yard down the left, only for the flag to go up for offside. Arsenal take their own sweet time over the restart, as they’re going to do for the rest of this match, and you can’t really blame them.

4.52pm EDT 16:52

79 min: Arsenal respond with a substitution of their own. A disappointed but clearly tired Aubameyang traipses off, Lacazette coming on in his wake.

4.50pm EDT 16:50

78 min: An attacking substitution by Chelsea with time slowly running out. Azpilicueta is replaced by Ziyech. “Pulisic is the hope for all Americans, he is our Captain America,” begins Mary Waltz, who clearly holds no truck with the Ryder Cup stylings of Patrick Reed. “However I have to admit he is a bit of a drama queen at times. He isn’t as bad as Neymar but he occasionally ventures into that territory.”

4.49pm EDT 16:49

76 min: A free kick for Arsenal out on the left. Smith-Rowe takes. Silva half-clears. Tierney tries to return with a spectacular volley from distance but his effort is blocked and spins through to Kepa.

4.47pm EDT 16:47

75 min: The pace of the game drops a little, which will suit Arsenal just fine as they get closer and closer to completing their first league double over Chelsea for 17 years.

Olivier Giroud of Chelsea (right) and Pablo Marí of Arsenal tussle for teh ball. Photograph: Marc Aspland/NMC Pool

Updated at 5.04pm EDT

4.45pm EDT 16:45

73 min: Hudson-Odoi shimmies down the left before scooping infield for Giroud, who isn’t far away from connecting with the cross, ten yards out. Leno shepherds the ball out for a goal kick.

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