Gabriel’s close-range finish from Bukayo Saka’s inswinging corner in the second half was enough to secure a well-deserved and vital win at Stamford Bridge.<br /><br />It was a full-blooded London derby, and we were the dominant side throughout the afternoon, and could have won by a bigger margin in the end.<br /><br />The win takes us back to the top of the table, and made it three consecutive league wins away to Chelsea for the first time since the 1970s.<br /><br />It was a start full of intensity from the visitors, Ben White had our first two sighters on goal – the first blazed over, the second dragged just wide.<br /><br />Gabriel Martinelli was next to try his luck, shooting over from the edge of the area. Gabriel Jesus had a shot charged down when he burst into the box, weaved past two defenders but Thiago Silva slid in to block.<br /><br />Our best move of the half resulted in an opportunity for Jesus. He couldn’t stretch quite enough to get his head on the end of a Martinelli cross though. He had beaten the offside trap to find the space, but maybe just checked his run at the vital moment.<br /><br />It all started outside our own box though, with some excellent, confident playing out from the back to create the space and force the opening.<br /><br />It was a largely positive opening 45 minutes, but we didn’t manage to test Edouard Mendy, and the end product was lacking.<br /><br />The second half started in a fairly scrappy manner, with the wet pitch maybe contributing to a disjointed passage of play.<br /><br />Partey headed wide from a clever short corner routine, and from the next flag kick we took the lead.<br /><br />Jesus won the corner, winning the ball from Loftus-Cheek then shooting at Mendy at the near post.<br /><br />Saka swung in the corner, which evaded everyone before Gabriel slid in to score virtually on the goalline.<br /><br />We were good value for the lead, and continued to press forward in the falling rain.<br /><br />Jesus, who might now be nine without a goal, but he put in another excellent display here. He set up a wonderful chance for Odegaard after a mazy run in the middle of the pitch. The skipper checked onto his left foot but shot over when Martinelli was perhaps better placed.<br /><br />Oleksandr Zinchenko, back in the side after missing nine games with a calf injury, was replaced by Kieran Tierney for the closing stages.<br /><br />We controlled the game in the wet, and the work-rate was excellent to see out a statement win in west London.<br />
