Merino strike proves the difference as strikerless Arsenal sink Chelsea

Mikel Arteta had promised that Arsenal would not give up on their title dream easily and, although they remain 12 points behind the champions-elect Liverpool after one of the most comfortable 1-0 win you will see, there remains hope in this part of north London.

Mikel Merino’s first-half goal from a corner – Arsenal’s 11th of the season but first since mid-January – proved enough to see off a toothless ­Chelsea side who looked badly short of ­inspiration without their talisman Cole Palmer and secure a first win in four league games.

It was the seventh successive away league game that Enzo Maresca’s side have failed to win and, with the ­chasing pack breathing down their neck in the race for the top five, these are worrying times for the Italian.

Chelsea have managed only three goals on the road since defeating Tottenham in December and never looked like recovering from falling behind here, while Robert Sánchez endured another afternoon he will want to forget as the goalkeeper was culpable for Merino’s goal.

Arsenal were grateful for any assistance they could get having dropped points against West Ham, ­Nottingham Forest and ­Manchester United in their past three league games, with Arteta refusing to give up hope that it could still be their year having finished as runners-up to Manchester City for the past two seasons. “We have to win our football matches, that’s what it has to be,” he said. “Win against Fulham [before Liverpool face Everton in their next match] and we’ll be closer.”

Palmer was also absent when ­Chelsea endured a record 5-0 defeat under Mauricio Pochettino 11 months ago and there were times during the first half here when it looked like there could be a similar scoreline had it not been for Arsenal’s profligacy.

Maresca opted for Enzo ­Fernández to fill the No 10 role and again started Reece James in central midfield despite Thomas Tuchel insisting last week that his best position is at full‑back. Both laboured to live with the ferocious tempo set by the outstanding Declan Rice right from the start.

Arsenal have struggled to recapture their blistering Premier League form of last spring with so many attacking players still missing, and it was a surprise to see Ethan Nwaneri – perhaps the best finisher ­available to Arteta – left on the bench.

The result was a number of wasted chances inside the opening 20 minutes when Chelsea could have easily been three goals down, thanks in part to Sánchez. Gabriel Martinelli could not make the most of the ­opportunity gifted to him by the ­Chelsea ­goalkeeper before Marc Cucurella was perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty when the ball appeared to strike his arm while under pressure from Jurrien Timber. Rice eventually fired over after a clearance had cannoned into his path via James’s face.

It was only a matter of time until Arsenal found a way through and Sánchez was again at fault. Merino’s deft header from a corner caught him flat-footed at his near post and the ball looped into the far corner of the unguarded net.

“It was a different kind of ­finish than we planned,” Arteta said. “But [we’re] very happy because that would generate the belief in the team again, even in the stadium that we can score, because it’s something that we’re missing when we’re so prolific on that and with the amount of injuries that we have to deal with in the front line.”

Wesley Fofana could easily have been sent off when he followed through with a tackle on Rice and stood on him, although VAR ruled that there had not been not sufficient force to warrant a red card.

Chelsea had failed to muster even a single touch in Arsenal’s penalty area by that stage as their midfield chased shadows. They should have fallen further behind had Martinelli not blazed over after excellent work from Martin Ødegaard. But David Raya had a momentary lapse of concentration and almost spilled Cucurella’s tame volley into his own net in Chelsea’s first significant attack seven minutes before half-time.

That finally seemed to wake up the visitors and Maresca would have been slightly more encouraged by his team’s start to the second half as they began to frustrate Arsenal and create the occasional opening. A brilliant reaction save from Sánchez to deny Merino his second from a volley at the back post was the culmination of a scrappy period of play during which two players from each side went into the referee Chris Kavanagh’s booktwo players from each side were booked.

Maresca threw on Kiernan ­Dewsbury-Hall and Tyrique George late on to replace the ineffective Christopher Nkunku and Jadon Sancho. But neither side really came close to scoring as the game petered out as a contest.

At this stage of the season, all that really matters is the result and with a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid to come, ­Arsenal can head into the international break satisfied they still have plenty for which to play. Maresca can only hope ­Chelsea will rediscover their mojo before it is too late.