Ian Wright has revealed he is worried about Arsenal showing their ‘jittery nerves’ towards the end of games after they took one step closer to the Premier League title.
In a game where the only goals were scored by set-pieces, Mikel Arteta’s side edged out their London rivals Chelsea with a scrappy 2-1 win at the Emirates on Sunday.
The victory extended Arsenal’s lead to five points ahead of Man City – who have a game in hand – at the top of the table, but at times Chelsea looked like coming back into the tie even with 10 men after Pedro Neto’s second-half red card.
And Wright, who scored 185 goals for the Gunners between 1991 and 1998, is worried about his old side’s ability to close out tight games in the title run-in.
‘Chelsea, once they went down to 10 men, they started to play. It was worrying,’ he said on Premier League Productions.
‘Arsenal showing those nerves, those jittery nerves at the latter stages of games, they need to take the opportunities earlier on so they can relax at this stage.
Ian Wright says he is worried about Arsenal showing their ‘nerves’ towards the end of games
‘They have to just win now, especially the home games. It’s not going to be something that instills you with loads of confidence but it’s a win.’
Arsenal opened the scoring after 21 minutes in the tie through a corner, which defender William Saliba nodded home.
However, they were pegged back in the second minute of first-half injury time after Piero Hincapie’s own-goal from a Chelsea corner, and the Blues began the second 45 in the ascendancy before Neto was sent off.
‘We’re seeing in the second half of games, you can get at Arsenal,’ Wright added.
‘Chelsea had 10 men there, it would be nice to find out what’s happening to Arsenal in the second half.
‘It comes down to “you get the job done” and I’m happy the job is done, but I’m going to be nervous for the next game because I’m seeing that again in the second half.’
Despite Chelsea being unable to score in the second half, 14 of Arsenal’s Premier League goals conceded this season have come after the restart.
Wright also said he was ‘baffled’ by VAR not awarding the Blues a penalty when the ball struck Declan Rice’s arm just before their equaliser.
The Arsenal midfielder was holding Jorrel Hato as the ball came in, before it struck his elbow and almost went into his own net.
‘(Rice’s) arm has come up. I’m baffled at what they’re looking for,’ Wright said.
The Gunners beat London rivals Chelsea on Sunday to extend their lead at the top of the table
‘Decs is actually holding him. His arm’s up there and now it moves up. When I saw that I thought they’re going to give a pen.
‘But then you don’t know what they’re going to do up there. You look at the pen that Man United got today, I’m thinking that’s definitely a penalty.’
The Premier League’s Match Centre posted an immediate statement detailing why the penalty wasn’t awarded.
‘The referee’s call of no penalty was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed there was no punishable handball offence with Rice challenging an opponent as the ball hit his arm,’ they said.
Arsenal’s winning goal came when Jurrien Timber headed home from a Declan Rice corner in the 66th-minute.
But the latter stages of the clash still left the Arsenal support feeling nervy, with David Raya making a fingertip save in injury time from an Alejandro Garnacho cross, before Liam Delap’s late strike was ruled out for offside.
Arteta credited Raya with bringing his heart ‘back to life’ with his late heroics.
‘He (Raya) is a keeper that knows how to maintain his focus and decide a football match when you need it because sometimes he doesn’t participate at all, and then in one action, you have to be there, and that’s very, very difficult to do,’ the Arsenal boss said post-match.
‘The save that he made it in the last action… it’s a cross, not a shot but he ended up with an unbelievable save.
‘I got the right angle and my heart almost stopped, but David’s hand was there to bring it back to life.’
