Arsenal defeated Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, March 1, with all three goals coming from corners. Gary Neville was on commentary for Sky Sports and took a dig at the Blues.
Gary Neville Slams Chelsea After Arsenal’s ‘Predictable’ Showing
William Saliba and Jurrien Timber scored for the Gunners, while an own goal from Piero Hincapié briefly pulled Chelsea level just before halftime. The set-piece goals became the main talking point among fans, pundits, and former players, with Neville the first to weigh in as part of his commentary.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said Arsenal has mastered the art of scoring from corners and did what he called predictable. He criticized Chelsea’s defending, noting that Gabriel won the initial header before Saliba’s effort deflected off Mamadou Sarr and went in.
“It was predictable,” he said. “The art of the set piece has been mastered by Arsenal. It was men against boys. It didn’t look right for Chelsea. It looks like an own goal in the end.”
A Reece James corner was turned into his own net by Hincapié before the break, but Arsenal regained the lead just after the hour mark. A Declan Rice corner was headed in by Timber, with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez protesting about a push.
READ MORE: Chelsea Captain Reece James Makes Feelings Clear on Arsenal Scoring Two Set-Piece Goals in 2-1 Win
A VAR check found no foul on Sanchez, and the goal stood as Arsenal held on to secure the victory. Neville criticized Sanchez after the goal, blasting him for poor decision-making and saying on Sky Sports:
“Robert Sanchez is all over the place, he’s whinging unnecessarily in my view. Watch Sanchez, not a chance, he’s nowhere near it. It’s really poor goalkeeping. He misreads the flight. He’s had such a poor day, he really has. On the ground and in the air.
“He will know deep down he wasn’t fouled, he had to create something because he got the flight wrong. Chelsea were doing well up until that point but that swung the momentum.”
🎙️Gary Neville on Robert Sanchez: “I’m going to talk about the goalkeeper as well because Robert Sanchez invites problems, every time I watch him my heart is in my mouth.”
“He flaps at the Arsenal goal so for me Chelsea are three players short, they need players in those… pic.twitter.com/T59s4zdNi5
— Blue Season Daily (@BlueSeasonDaily) March 2, 2026
Chelsea had the ball in the net in the final minutes, but the goal was ruled out after Joao Pedro was offside in the buildup.
The two goals from corners brought Mikel Arteta’s side to 16 Premier League goals from corners this season, equaling the record held by West Bromwich Albion and Oldham.
