Chelsea loses the title due to Arsenal's mastery in set pieces.
At Emirates Stadium, the league leaders were not playing at their best, but two goals from corner pieces were plenty once more.
Arsenal defeated Chelsea 2-1 after another strong set-piece performance, regaining a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League and solidifying their standing as the division's best dead-ball team.
Even though the league leaders were not playing at their best at Emirates Stadium, two goals from corner routines were plenty once more. After William Saliba met Gabriel's first header, he opened the scoring. Then, defender Jurrien Timber scored Declan Rice's pass to complete the victory.
With 16 goals from corners so far this season, Arsenal leads all teams and has tied the record for most goals ever scored in a Premier League season. Additionally, this set a new all-time record of nine times this season that a goal from a corner has been the game-winning goal in one of their league games.
Even though Arsenal has played one more game than second-place Manchester City, concerns about their playing style have resurfaced. Chris Sutton, a former Premier League winner, claimed that Arsenal's overall effort against Chelsea was lacking and that if they go on to win the trophy, they would be remembered as one of the "ugliest" title winners.
Supporters want to see greater dominance in open play, according to former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, who repeated the idea that expectations are higher when a team leads both domestically and in Europe.
Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, dismissed the criticism, stating that flexibility is a necessary component of contemporary sport. He claimed it was "wonderful" in its own right to win by taking advantage of the narrow margins, especially when playing a team like Chelsea.
Leon Osman, a former midfielder for Everton, also supported Arsenal's strategy, stating that it made sense to rely on a strength. "You employ set-pieces if they are your weapon," he remarked.
Gabriel, a Brazilian defender who has played a key role in Arsenal's routines, has now directly contributed to 25 Premier League goals, the most of any Arsenal center back in the league. The improvement has generally been attributed to the club's investment in specialized coaching, which included hiring set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.
Arsenal is still very much on track to win the league for the first time since 2004 with nine games left. Arteta's team seems happy to let efficacy take precedence over style in a close title fight, even as the Gunners' effectiveness in both penalty areas continues to produce results.
