>
By Emmanuel Adeleke
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table as Gabriel Magalhaes’ close-range finish gave them victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Gabriel pounced to steer the ball over the line in the 63rd minute, after the hosts failed to deal with Bukayo Saka’s corner from the right wing, to give the Gunners a deserved lead.
They had created the best chances when it was goalless with Gabriel Martinelli curling a shot over the crossbar and Gabriel Jesus failing to hit the target with a diving header when unmarked.
Chelsea, with ex-Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failing to make an impact against his former side, struggled to create clear-cut chances and are now without a win in four Premier League matches.
Arsenal lost top spot on Saturday when 10-man Manchester City beat Fulham 2-1 with Erling Haaland’s winning penalty in the fifth minute of added time, but this win took Arsenal two points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side after 13 matches.
For Arsenal, this was a chance to show their title credentials as they look to become English champions for the 14th time but the first since 2003-04 when their “Invincibles” went through an entire league campaign without losing a game.
The Gunners, without a top-four finish since 2016, have beaten Tottenham and Liverpool at home this season, although they tamely lost 3-1 at Manchester United in September.
But they started brightly at Stamford Bridge as Gabriel headed wide inside the first two minutes.