Ian Wright has revealed he’s apprehensive about Arsenal exhibiting their ‘jittery nerves’ in the direction of the top of video games after they took one step nearer to the Premier League title.
In a sport the place the one targets have been scored by set-pieces, Mikel Arteta’s aspect edged out their London rivals Chelsea with a scrappy 2-1 win on the Emirates on Sunday.
The victory prolonged Arsenal’s result in 5 factors forward of Man Metropolis – who’ve a sport in hand – on the high of the desk, however at instances Chelsea appeared like coming again into the tie even with 10 males after Pedro Neto’s second-half crimson card.
And Wright, who scored 185 targets for the Gunners between 1991 and 1998, is apprehensive about his outdated aspect’s capability to shut out tight video games within the title run-in.
‘Chelsea, as soon as they went right down to 10 males, they began to play. It was worrying,’ he stated on Premier League Productions.
‘Arsenal exhibiting these nerves, these jittery nerves on the latter phases of video games, they should take the alternatives earlier on to allow them to loosen up at this stage.
Ian Wright says he’s apprehensive about Arsenal exhibiting their ‘nerves’ in the direction of the top of video games
‘They’ve to simply win now, particularly the house video games. It is not going to be one thing that instills you with a great deal of confidence nevertheless it’s a win.’
Arsenal opened the scoring after 21 minutes within the tie by means of a nook, which defender William Saliba nodded residence.
Nonetheless, they have been pegged again within the second minute of first-half damage time after Piero Hincapie’s own-goal from a Chelsea nook, and the Blues started the second 45 within the ascendancy earlier than Neto was despatched off.
‘We’re seeing within the second half of video games, you may get at Arsenal,’ Wright added.
‘Chelsea had 10 males there, it might be good to search out out what’s occurring to Arsenal within the second half.
‘It comes right down to “you get the job finished” and I am comfortable the job is completed, however I will be nervous for the following sport as a result of I am seeing that once more within the second half.’
Regardless of Chelsea being unable to attain within the second half, 14 of Arsenal’s Premier League targets conceded this season have come after the restart.
Wright additionally stated he was ‘baffled’ by VAR not awarding the Blues a penalty when the ball struck Declan Rice’s arm simply earlier than their equaliser.
The Arsenal midfielder was holding Jorrel Hato because the ball got here in, earlier than it struck his elbow and nearly went into his personal internet.
‘(Rice’s) arm has come up. I am baffled at what they’re in search of,’ Wright stated.
The Gunners beat London rivals Chelsea on Sunday to increase their lead on the high of the desk
‘Decs is definitely holding him. His arm’s up there and now it strikes up. Once I noticed that I believed they will give a pen.
‘However then you do not know what they will do up there. You take a look at the pen that Man United obtained at this time, I am considering that is positively a penalty.’
The Premier League’s Match Centre posted a direct assertion detailing why the penalty wasn’t awarded.
‘The referee’s name of no penalty was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed there was no punishable handball offence with Rice difficult an opponent because the ball hit his arm,’ they stated.
Arsenal’s profitable purpose got here when Jurrien Timber headed residence from a Declan Rice nook within the 66th-minute.
However the latter phases of the conflict nonetheless left the Arsenal help feeling nervy, with David Raya making a fingertip save in damage time from an Alejandro Garnacho cross, earlier than Liam Delap’s late strike was dominated out for offside.
Arteta credited Raya with bringing his coronary heart ‘again to life’ along with his late heroics.
‘He (Raya) is a keeper that is aware of how one can preserve his focus and resolve a soccer match once you want it as a result of typically he does not take part in any respect, after which in a single motion, it’s a must to be there, and that is very, very troublesome to do,’ the Arsenal boss stated post-match.
‘The save that he made within the final motion… it is a cross, not a shot, however he ended up with an unbelievable save.
‘I obtained the fitting angle and my coronary heart nearly stopped, however David’s hand was there to deliver it again to life.’
