MIKEL ARTETA this week said he was determined for Arsenal to be the best of the rest this season as Liverpool stroll to the Premier League title.
They are on course to do just that, especially when “the rest” are as atrocious and as hot-headed as Chelsea are right now.
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The Gunners came into this one without a win in their last three league games, 15 points off Arne Slot’s rampaging Reds and in danger of being dragged into a top four scrap.
Those nerves have settled now, nine points above Enzo Maresca’s Blues in fourth and four points above Nottingham Forest in third thanks to Mikel Merino’s 20th minute Emirates winner.
It seems boss Arteta is content with a third-successive runners-up spot this term, something he sees as a real achievement given their damaging injury record this campaign.
This was not Arsenal at their fluid best, not that they needed to be against a Chelsea outfit without an injured Cole Palmer – and it desperately showed.
But for now, Arteta’s men have bigger fish to fry in the Champions League – welcoming Real Madrid to North London for a mouth-watering quarter final tie next month.
Chelsea meanwhile produced a performance worthy of the Europa Conference League they hope to win comfortably come May.
Do not let the score line fool you – they were never, ever in this one.
Chasing shadows for large parts, they spent most of it kicking lumps out of anything that moved and aimlessly arguing with officials, lucky not to be down to 10 men after Wesley Fofana’s blatant first half stamp on Declan Rice.
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A real sign of the times, and a sign of how much work Enzo Maresca still has to do with this group.
For the neutrals, this had arguably the most important element to a London derby: needle.
The visitors provided most of it, starting before a ball was even kicked by winning the toss and forcing the hosts to unusually kick away from the Clock End in the first half. Mind games?
Chelsea’s approach after that smacked of a team who knew they would be inferior on the ball, so decided to be horrible b******s off it in the hope of disrupting their opponents, kicking lumps out of anything in red.
Marc Cucurella was at his whinging, crowd-provoking best from the first whistle, while Enzo Fernandez led from the front when it came to niggly fouls and dramatic collapses to the turf.
Then Fofana got in on it, perhaps a bit too much.
The Frenchman bundled Rice to the floor and proceeded to plant his studs into the back of the England midfielder’s thigh.
Rice reacted, squaring up to the offender.
Arteta was frothing at the mouth. VAR took a less dramatic view on their review. Fofana somehow got away with no punishment at all.
Arsenal were not exactly saints either. Thomas Partey got away with leaving one or two studs on the ankle of Pedro Neto.
And Gabriel enjoyed a good old South American coming together with Enzo Fernandez.
But still, in footballing terms, Arsenal were dominant. Chelsea were pathetically passive.
It did not help that their front six players were all under six foot, trying to gain some momentum and territory against a trio of giants like Partey, Gabriel and William Saliba.
The recalled Robert Sanchez in goal was at his nervy, frantic worst, passing straight out to Gabriel Martinelli and then parrying the Brazilian’s shot almost into the path of Leandro Trossard.
Down the right, Jurrien Timber jinked around Cucurella in the box and squared for Martinelli but for a well-timed Fofana interception.
After that, it was comical watching Chelsea attempt to clear.
Benoit Badiashile deflected onto Colwill, forcing Sanchez to stop an own goal, and a second attempt to hoof it left a ball-print bruise on the face of Reece James as Rice then blazed over.
The opening was inevitable, but the source of it was a surprise. Before this one, Arsenal – the corner kings – had failed to score from their last 51 deliveries.
But they made No.52 count. Martin Odegaard whipped it to the near post and Merino flicked up and over everybody else into the far side-netting. His fourth goal in seven in all competitions as a No.9.
This game should have been over at half time with Chelsea stinking the place out and Arsenal creating chance after chance. Enzo Maresca spent most of the first half slumped on his knees.
And yet they almost nicked an underserving leveller from a David Raya howler, spilling a Cucurella volley and watching the ball trickle just past his far post.
Not that this was enough to rally Maresca’s men at the break, instead looking more interested in some more of the dark arts.
Arteta must have secretly been quite impressed, having taught his own players most of those tricks over the past few years.
Neto picked up a yellow for dissent. Fofana was finally cautioned for delaying an Arsenal throw-in.
At the other end, Arsenal were probing. Martinelli crossed for Merino whose eyes lit up only for his volley to be well punched away by Sanchez.
Arsenal are the best of the rest. Chelsea are still scrambling finding their place below them.
