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On a typical week that precedes a London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea, the mood is rarely calm.
It is full of bants. Full of boastfulness. Full of that familiar, never-ending argument about which side is truly the bigger force in London.
Chelsea fans will swear it is their blue half that runs the capital. Arsenal fans would never agree, not publicly, not privately, and will argue, with history and conviction, that it has always been them..
For a neutral, it is fascinating to watch unfold.
Scroll through social media and you will find diss videos, stat graphics stripped of context, and selective memory deployed with surgical precision. It is boastfulness dressed up as analysis. And it is brilliant.
Then the game is played.
And everything shifts.
Whoever wins does not just collect three points. They collect bragging rights for the week. They walk taller. They tweet louder. They remind you of the result repeatedly.
The loser, inevitably hurt, searches for context. A refereeing call. A missed chance. The narrative begins to twist. It always does.
If it ends in a draw, it hardly settles anything. Instead, both sides are convinced the other was fortunate to escape with a draw.
That was the case again last week. The bants had started days earlier, building gradually across timelines. By Sunday evening, the tension had a stage.
Ninety minutes later, there was a winner celebrating. And a loser explaining.
Just another chapter in a rivalry that seems to exist as much in conversation as it does on the pitch.
Arsenal beat Chelsea 2–1 at the Emirates on Sunday evening in a tale of corner kicks.
Arsenal took the lead in the 21st minute when William Saliba headed home from a corner. Chelsea found the leveller in the final minute of the first half, when a Reece James corner was turned into the net by Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié.
The second half started in fine fashion for Chelsea, as they were on the front foot and looked likely to go in front. But that tempo soon faded, and Arsenal struck again from a corner in the 66th minute, with Jurrien Timber connecting with Declan Rice’s cross.
The goal proved to be the decider, as Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the table to five points ahead of Manchester City in second.
It wasn’t the best game for Arsenal, but to be champions, you cannot expect to play perfectly every week. What ultimately matters is the result, and Arsenal got it against Chelsea.
There have been a few matches this season where the performance may not have thrilled supporters. But how long does the lack of enjoyment linger when it still ends in victory?
Arsenal have continued to show that they are ready to be champions, they have maintained their place at the top of the table for months.
They have nine games left to play, while Manchester City have ten to play in the run-in.
There are three Premier League games for Arsenal to play before both teams meet on Matchday 33 in April, and for City there are four.
For Arsenal, they will have to ensure that they continue to push and win, and continue to put pressure on City. City will also have to keep winning to ensure they chase Arsenal until the very end.
If both teams win their games before the Etihad clash in April, Arsenal would still hold a two-point lead, and at that point they would need at least a draw, or ideally a win, to ensure they stay ahead at the top of the table.
A loss would see them relinquish the first position, a position they have held for months.
That would be disastrous, and that’s why, as much as Arsenal seem destined for the crown this season, the Etihad could rewrite the script and determine how it plays out.
The good thing for Arsenal is that they haven’t lost to Man City in any competition since 2023, when they went down 4–1 at the Etihad in April, which works in their favour.
Before that Premier League clash, though, both teams will have to settle scores in the Carabao Cup final on 22 March.
Whatever happens on that day may or may not matter, but the one Arsenal fans will really have their eye on is the game in April, the Premier League fixture, and that is the one that truly matters and will deliver the verdict.
Arsenal are close to the crown, but their eyes will have to stay on the Etihad, where the story will truly unfold. Let’s see if they can stand the test.
