Arsenal ended a three-game winless run in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium to strengthen their position in second place.
Mikel Merino's clever 19th-minute header was decisive in a London derby that will not long be remembered, with the substitute striker number nine heading home Martin Odegaard's corner at the far post as Mikel Arteta's side once again demonstrated their efficiency and guile from set-pieces earlier in the season.
Chelsea, playing in the league for the first time without the injured Cole Palmer, were, by contrast, completely out of ideas and the slow and cautious approach that has characterised recent nervy wins lacked the edge to cause problems for Arsenal, who had no trouble keeping possession.
Enzo Maresca's side, now fourth, have won four of their last 13 league games and remain in contention for a Champions League place.
Arsenal were the dominant team almost from the start.
Early in the first half, Jurrien Timbert stole the ball from Marc Cucurella and passed it to Leandro Trossard, whose close-range shot was blocked by Wesley Fofana, leaving goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to show nervous hesitation, sending a weak, half-hearted wrist shot home.
Declan Rice fired a shot half a metre wide of Sanchez's post as Arsenal began to put Chelsea under pressure, then Sanchez raced out of his goal to clear a dangerous cross but Trossard's half-volley went wide.
It was a thoroughly one-sided start for the first 20 minutes and Arsenal soon opened the scoring, which was well deserved for their spirited performance. Odegaard's corner was headed into the box where Merino got past Reece James and ducked in to fire a clever, looping header over his shoulder and into the net.
Arsenal tormented Chelsea with their high energy and wide play. In contrast, Maresca's side had yet to touch the ball in the box by the time they were 1-0 down.
The visitors finally launched a serious attack in the 36th minute. After Pedro Neto and Christopher Nkunku had shots blocked, Cucurella tried to make a spectacular strike, firing a powerful volley that slipped past David Raya's grasp and landed just inches wide of the target, much to the keeper's relief.
The question of who would be in goal became a pressing issue for Maresca.
Few of his choices were more intriguing than the choice between the erring pairing of Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, and by the middle of the second half Sanchez had gone some way to justifying the faith the manager had placed in him in bringing him back into the side.
Gabriel Martinelli's cross to the far post was accurate and Merino headed the ball forward with confidence, but Sanchez made a superb save, instinctively throwing out his arm and palming the ball away from the goal line.
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