Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Behind the Lines Sportswriters discuss their careers and the work that inspires them. Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Arsenal players celebrate Mikel Merino's goal.Alamy Stock Photo FreePremier League Arsenal end three-game winless run with 1-0 victory over Chelsea Elsewhere, Tottenham were brought back down to earth by Fulham after a 2-0 defeat. 3.39pm, 16 Mar 2025 Share options ARSENAL BROUGHT THEIR three-game winless run in the Premier League to an end with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates to strengthen their grip on second place. Mikel Merino’s clever header in the 19th minute settled a London derby that will not live long in the memory, the stand-in number nine looping Martin Odegaard’s corner in at the far post as Mikel Arteta’s side rekindled memories from earlier in the season of their effectiveness and cunning at set-pieces. Chelsea, playing for the first time in the league without the injured Cole Palmer, were by contrast completely bereft of ideas, the slow, timorous approach that has characterised recent nervy wins lacking the bite to trouble Arsenal who had little problem keeping the ball from them. It is now four wins from the last 13 in the league for Enzo Maresca’s fourth-placed side who continue to stumble through their bid to reach the Champions League. Arsenal were the better side virtually from the beginning. Early in the first half, Jurrien Timber muscled Marc Cucurella off the ball and squared it for Leandro Trossard whose close-range effort was blocked by Wesley Fofana before goalkeeper Robert Sanchez showed an unnerving lack of confidence with a wild, limp-wristed swipe. Advertisement Declan Rice drilled an effort half a yard wide of Sanchez’s post as Arsenal began to box Chelsea in, then Sanchez flew from his goal to swat a cross back towards danger, but Trossard blasted wide on the half-volley. It had been a thoroughly one-sided opening 20 minutes and Arsenal capped it with the goal their enterprise merited. Odegaard’s corner was whipped towards the six-yard box where Merino manoeuvred across Reece James and stooped to flick an intelligent, looping header back over his own shoulder and in. Arsenal had tormented Chelsea with their high energy and expansive width. By contrast, Maresca’s side had not yet had a touch in the opposition box by the time they went 1-0 down. The visitors finally mounted an attack in earnest in the 36th minute. After Pedro Neto and Christopher Nkunku had had shots blocked, Cucurella went for the spectacular, unleashing a thumping volley that squeezed through David Raya’s grasp and dropped inches wide, to the goalkeeper’s considerable relief. The matter of whom to play in goal has become a preoccupying issue for Maresca. Few of his selections have invited greater scrutiny than which of the error-prone pair of Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen should get the nod, and around the hour mark Sanchez went some of the way towards repaying the faith shown by the head coach in restoring him to the side. Gabriel Martinelli’s cross to the far post was pinpoint, and arriving to meet it with a crisp, first-time instep was Merino, guiding it firmly goalwards only to be denied by superb reflexes from Sanchez, who instinctively threw out an arm and palmed the ball away from on the line. Elsewhere, in west London, Tottenham were brought back down to earth after second-half goals by substitutes Rodrigo Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon sent Fulham up to eighth with a 2-0 home win. Spurs kept their hopes for the season alive with a comeback victory over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday to lift the pressure on Ange Postecoglou, but they could not build on that result. A much-changed Tottenham side improved in the second half after a dull first 45 minutes and yet it was two players introduced by Marco Silva which earned Fulham a precious three points in their quest for European qualification. Muniz broke the deadlock in the 78th minute with his ninth goal this term and former Spurs defender Sessegnon grabbed an emotional second when he curled into the top corner late on to inflict a 15th league loss of the campaign on his old club. Postecoglou shuffled his pack after Thursday’s crucial victory with seven changes including James Maddison and Son Heung-min being benched, which meant Archie Gray made his first start for Spurs in midfield. Fulham took advantage to boost their top-seven hopes. Press Association View 5 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Arsenal end three-game winless run with 1-0 victory over Chelsea”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Arsenal end three-game winless run with 1-0 victory over Chelsea”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Premier League Tottenham Hotspur News in 60 seconds Freeend of the line Mayo condemn champions Derry to relegation and cement their own Division 1 safety 53 mins ago FreeDerby Day Rangers stun Celtic with late winner in five-goal thriller Armagh boss McGeeney 'doubts' Rian O'Neill will play for All-Ireland champions in 2025 Freesent off Dele Alli sees light side as he ‘announces return’ with 10-minute red card FreeDan the Man 'I'm not thinking about my knee': Sheehan feels back to best despite Six Nations disappointment FreeAthletics European 800m bronze medallist Mark English ruled out of World Indoor Championships Hard work, composure, fun: How Sarah Healy is fulfilling her promise in 'brutal, unforgiving sport' Gavin Cooney France crowned Six Nations champions with victory over Scotland Rookie of the Year 'It's been a mixed bag' - Prendergast named Six Nations' Rising Player for 2025 Analysismessy Player ratings as Ireland very unspectacularly hold off Italian challenge in Rome 'It's a good reminder that there's more in us... we're by no means the finished article' more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account