The Gunners' centre-backs shone as they moved back to the top of the Premier League after a vital victory at Stamford Bridge
Arsenal roared back to the top of the of the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Sunday. After seeing Manchester City move above them 24 hours earlier with victory over Fulham, the pressure was on Mikel Arteta's side to respond at Stamford Bridge.
And they did just that, sealing a third successive league win at the home of their west London rivals thanks to a Gabriel Magalhaes strike on 63 minutes.
The Arsenal centre-back was on hand to turn in Bukayo Saka's corner and earn the visitors a deserved victory.
If anything, Arsenal should have won by more, but that will not worry Arteta at all, who had the added pleasure of seeing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang endure a nightmare afternoon against his former club.
Arsenal now travel to Wolves next weekend knowing that victory at Molineux will send them into the World Cup break top of the table.
Getty ImagesThe Winners
Gabriel Magalhaes
He's one of the few Arsenal players to have come in for some criticism this season, so this was a big day for Gabriel. Both he and William Saliba were exceptional in the heart of defence, limiting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to just eight touches while he was on the pitch. And at the other end, Gabriel popped up with the game's vital intervention, getting on the end of Bukayo Saka's corner to prod home his second goal of the season. There are few defenders with the natural ability of Gabriel, and when he plays as well as he did here, he is undoubtedly one of the best centre-backs in the country.
William Saliba
Chelsea have one of the greatest centre-backs of his generation in Thiago Silva. But in Saliba, Arsenal have a central defender who looks like he has what it takes to dominate Europe for years to come. The France international was simply sensational at Stamford Bridge. He barely gave Aubameyang a kick. And then when Armando Broja came on to offer a more physical presence, the Arsenal centre-back dealt with him with ease. Saliba cruised through the game with the class of a defender who has been operating in the Premier League for years, rather than a matter of months. What a talent.
Mikel Arteta
This was a third win in a row for Arteta at Stamford Bridge. A ground that used to hold torrid memories for Arsenal has suddenly become the Gunners' playground. After the defeat at Old Trafford earlier in the season, questions still remained about Arsenal's ability to perform against the Premier League's top sides, even with their excellent start to the campaign. So this was a huge result for Arteta. Not only did it see them move back to the top of the table, but psychologically this will have done wonders for the Spaniard's young side.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The look on his face after being substituted said it all. Aubameyang had talked the talk before the game, taking part in a promotional video for BT Sport which provoked plenty of criticism from Arsenal fans. But he failed to back his chat up on the pitch against his old club, mustering just eight touches during a totally anonymous performance. He lasted just 64 minutes before being hauled off, and Aubameyang might not be quite so loose-lipped before the return game in north London next year.
Gabriel Jesus
Had Jesus had got a better connection to Gabriel Martinelli's cross midway through the first half, he would have been celebrating a goal that would have been as good as any that will be scored this season. But instead the Arsenal striker got his header all wrong and miscued it wide, denying Arsenal a team goal that would have been spoken about for years to come. Jesus has now gone nine games without finding the target in all competitions, and it is becoming a bigger talking point with each game that passes. He had the chance to put an end to all that discussion at Stamford Bridge, but it was chance he failed to take advantage of.
Kieran Tierney
After the high of scoring the winner against FC Zurich on Thursday night, this was another low for Tierney in what has been a frustrating season. Most expected the Scotland international to start at Stamford Bridge following his fine display in midweek, but he instead found himself back on the bench, with Arteta throwing Oleksandr Zinchenko straight back into the starting XI despite having not played a since minute since October 1. Tierney did replace Zinchenko after the interval, but this was another big reminder to the left-back that he has fallen firmly down the pecking order this season.
Getty ImagesArsenal Ratings: Defence
Aaron Ramsdale (6/10):
Barely had a thing to do. Swept all well when needed.
Ben White (7/10):
Got forward well, always involved. Another fine display.
William Saliba (9/10):
Excellent once again. Monstrous performance.
Gabriel Magalhaes (8/10):
Controlled performance alongside Saliba and popped up with the winner.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (6/10):
Looked a bit rusty, which was understandable. Valuable minutes.
Getty ImagesMidfield
Thomas Partey (8/10):
Dominant in the heart of midfield.
Granit Xhaka (7/10):
Competitive, physical. Excellent again.
Martin Odegaard (6/10):
Had one big chance in the second half, but put his shot over.
