Chelsea Captain Reece James Makes Feelings Clear on Arsenal Scoring Two Set-Piece Goals in 2-1 Win

Chelsea traveled to face Arsenal in the Premier League today but could not get all three points. They lost 2-1 to the Gunners, and club captain Reece James made a surprise comment after the match.

Reece James Makes Feelings Known After Arsenal Punishes Chelsea With Two Set-Piece Goals

All three goals in the game at the Emirates on Sunday, March 1, came from corners. The two sides could not do much in open play and restricted each other well.

Arsenal opened the scoring in the first half through William Saliba, with Gabriel Magalhães getting the assist. Chelsea equalized through an own goal from Piero Hincapié, the result of a well-placed corner from James.

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The Gunners scored the winner in the second half from another corner; this time, Jurrien Timber got on the scoresheet. The goals also saw Mikel Arteta’s side level the Premier League record held by Oldham and West Bromwich Albion for scoring 16 goals from corners in a season.

The Blues captain spoke about the set-piece goals from the league leaders, admitting that it had become the new normal in football. He hailed the Premier League leaders as the best club at set pieces, but he was disappointed to have conceded twice to the north London side. He wants his teammates to move on swiftly from the game and told the club website:

“It’s disappointing to walk away empty-handed. When it was 1-1 in the second half, we had a half-chance to make it 2-1. Their goalkeeper made a good save, then they get a set-piece down the other end and managed to score. And that’s very frustrating from our point of view.”

“It’s frustrating to concede from two set-pieces but this is football now in 2026. So many goals are coming off set-pieces and they [Arsenal] are one of the leaders in the world [at them]. They are difficult to stop, for sure. They scored two today, and we’re disappointed at that.”

Liam Rosenior’s side is now sixth in the Premier League table, six points behind third-placed Manchester United and fourth-placed Aston Villa, who are level on points with 51. Liverpool sits fifth with 48 points, while Brentford is just two points behind in seventh.

The Blues do not have much time to dwell on the 2-1 loss to Arsenal, as they have a game this week. They face Aston Villa Wednesday, March 4, at Villa Park in what has become a must-win clash to keep pace with the other sides battling for UEFA Champions League spots.