Arsenal capitalized on set pieces once more to secure a crucial three points in the race for the Premier League title. Explore the top Opta statistics on our Arsenal vs Chelsea stats page.
For the second time this season, a match heavily influenced by corner kicks resulted in an Arsenal triumph, as the Gunners reclaimed their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory against a Chelsea side reduced to ten men.
At the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, goals from William Saliba and Jurriën Timber, along with an own goal by Piero Hincapié, propelled Mikel Arteta’s squad past Liam Rosnior’s Blues, with all three goals originating from corner kicks.
Pedro Neto received a red card for the visitors after accumulating two yellow cards in the second half, marking him as the seventh Chelsea player to be dismissed this season in the Premier League. Historically, only six teams have recorded more red cards in a single season, with QPR being the most recent to achieve nine in the 2011-12 campaign.
After Manchester City secured a 1-0 victory against Leeds United on Saturday, the spotlight turned to Arsenal, the league leaders, to deliver a response. Despite facing some tense moments, even while up against 10 players, they managed to pull through and achieve the necessary result.
In the fifth minute, there was a flutter of excitement among Chelsea supporters when Robert Sánchez nearly handed the ball to Viktor Gyökeres due to his hesitation, but the Blues’ goalkeeper managed to recover and clear it in the end.
Mamadou Sarr was making his debut in the Premier League for Chelsea and had a fantastic opportunity to net his first goal for the team when a deflected free-kick fell to him, but the young centre-back squandered the chance, sending the ball rolling harmlessly wide.
For an impressive ninth occasion this season in the Premier League, a corner kick was the catalyst for Arsenal to seize the lead. In the 21st minute, Bukayo Saka delivered an inswinger to the back post, where Gabriel Magalhães headed it back across the six-yard area for his fellow centre-back Saliba, whose attempt deflected off Sarr and found the net.
It was a corner that contributed to Chelsea’s equaliser as well. Reece James had just delivered a cross from the left that hit Declan Rice on the arm and was expertly saved by David Raya. To the relief of the home fans, the video assistant referee rejected the penalty appeals, but it ultimately proved inconsequential as the subsequent corner deflected off an Arsenal player and this time, found its way into the net. Hincapié was the unfortunate player who redirected the ball past his own goalkeeper while attempting to clear it at the near post.
At halftime, the teams were tied 1-1, even though Chelsea had yet to register a shot on goal. This marked the second instance in Opta’s records (since 2006-07) where Chelsea managed to score in the second half without having a shot on target, the first being their initial half against Man City in April 2008.
Five minutes into the second half, Enzo Fernández forced Raya into a solid save with a shot from the edge of the area, and shortly after, João Pedro directed a header towards the goal from a corner, but Raya managed to stop it.
The visitors made a strong impression at the beginning of the second half, but it was only a matter of time before a corner influenced the game once more. An outstanding cross from the left by Rice was met by Timber’s header, while Sánchez completely mishandled his attempt to claim the ball, gifting Arsenal an easy opportunity to regain the lead.
This season, the Gunners have scored 16 goals from corner kicks in the Premier League, tying the record for the most by any team in a single season, matching the feats of Oldham Athletic in 1992-93, West Brom in 2016-17, and Arsenal themselves in 2023-24.
To make matters worse for Chelsea, they found themselves down to 10 players shortly thereafter. Neto received a yellow card for arguing after Arsenal’s second goal, and then committed a reckless foul on Gabriel Martinelli moments later to halt a counter-attack.
Arsenal sought a third goal, executing a slick play down the right flank that saw Eberechi Eze attempt to place the ball in the bottom left corner, but Sánchez was quick to react and made a solid save.
Chelsea sought to level the score late in the match despite being down a player, and found the back of the net in stoppage time with a goal from Liam Delap. However, to Arsenal’s relief, João Pedro was ruled offside during the play leading up to the goal.
The cheers that erupted in the stadium at the final whistle echoed a sense of relief as Arsenal reclaimed their five-point advantage in what is shaping up to be an intriguing title battle.
The Opta match center provides comprehensive statistics for the Arsenal vs Chelsea clash that took place at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
The match center provided below features statistics for both teams and players, data on expected goals, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard, and much more. It equips you with all the necessary tools to conduct your own match analysis.
Below the match center, you can also access the official Opta statistics related to the game.
Arsenal and Chelsea: Key Facts from the Match
The victory of Arsenal against Chelsea marks a historic moment, as all four Premier League matches today concluded with a 2-1 result – a rare occurrence in the history of English top-flight football where 4 or more games finish with the identical scoreline.
Arsenal has maintained an unbeaten streak of nine Premier League matches against Chelsea (W6 D3), and they have never suffered a defeat to the Blues in the league when they are at the top of the standings (W5 D1).
This marks the ninth occasion this season in the Premier League where Arsenal has netted a decisive goal from a corner, now setting the record for the most by any team in a single season, surpassing Manchester United’s eight from the 2012-13 season.
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