Smith Rowe helps Arsenal win London derby against Chelsea
Chelsea slipped up in its push for a Champions League spot when it lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal in the Premier League here on Wednesday.
Emile Smith Rowe’s first-half goal settled the London derby after a defensive mix-up by the host. The visitor capitalised on a wayward back pass by Chelsea’s Jorginho to goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who scrambled back to palm it off the line. The ball fell to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who cut it back for Smith Rowe to score in the 16th minute.
Chelsea dominated possession, but largely failed to break down Arsenal’s defensive lines. Kai Havertz spurned a glorious chance to put Chelsea ahead in the 11th minute when he dispossessed Arsenal central defender Pablo Mari. The German ran through on goal, but fired over when he looked certain to score.
The home team turned up the tempo as the final whistle approached. It almost drew level in the 90th minute when Kurt Zouma’s header was tipped onto the crossbar by Bernd Leno only for substitute Olivier Giroud to hit the bar as well with a volley on the follow up.
The rare defeat under Thomas Tuchel – third in 26 games in all competitions – left Chelsea in the last of the Premier League’s four Champions League qualifying spots with two games to play. It is six points clear of West Ham United, which has three matches left.
Arsenal now has 55 points, but has played more games than Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, who are also pushing for a Europa League spot.