Chelsea captain Reece James has expressed his frustration following Arsenal’s 2-1 victory, pointing to the Gunners’ dominance in set-piece situations as the decisive factor. Softfootball reports.
In comments shared by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on his official X account, James acknowledged Arsenal’s “world-leading” expertise from dead-ball scenarios, noting that modern football trends in 2026 show set pieces accounting for a significant share of goals.
Romano posted:
Reece James: “This is football now in 2026, 90% of goals are probably set piece”. “Arsenal are one of the leaders in the world at set-pieces. They are difficult to stop, they scored two today”. “I’m disappointed, but we move on”.
Ironically, Chelsea’s only goal on the night also came from a set piece, but Arsenal proved more clinical. Defender Jurrien Timber headed home the winner to seal a crucial three points for Arsenal F.C. against a 10-man Chelsea F.C. side reduced by a red card.
The result restores Arsenal’s five-point lead over Manchester City F.C. at the top of the Premier League table. It also continues Chelsea’s difficult run against their London rivals, having previously suffered 3-2 and 1-0 defeats in Carabao Cup meetings earlier in the season.
Despite not delivering their most fluent performance, Arsenal secured what matters most at this stage of the campaign, three vital points. With Manchester City grinding out narrow wins themselves, the title race appears increasingly defined by results rather than performances.
