“One Nil to the Arsenal” Calls in London Derby

Perhaps, the person most proud at Emirates Stadium with Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Chelsea was George Graham. The former Arsenal player and manager heard the chant "One Nil to The Arsenal" resonate directly. That chant originated during his era.

Graham watched the London derby match live on Sunday evening (16/3/2025) WIB. The 80-year-old man once played for both Arsenal and Chelsea but is more closely associated with Arsenal due to his successful tenure as manager from 1986 to 1995. He is a living legend for "The Gunners."

In accordance with the scoreboard, the song "One Nil to The Arsenal" was chanted by tens of thousands of home supporters. The chant originated in the 1990s, during the era when Graham was the manager. At that time, Arsenal had a solid defense and often won 1-0. They played it safe after scoring a goal.

The Graham principle, which emphasizes defense as the foundation of victory, was demonstrated by Arsenal's squad during the derby. Manager Mikel Arteta did not concern himself with the final score or the term "ugly win." "The only thing we must do is win. If we win, we will be in a better position," said Arteta.

The result may not be as spectacular as the seven-goal victory over PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16. However, Martin Odegaard and his teammates desperately needed the three points. They had failed to secure a win in three consecutive matches in the Premier League.

After taking the lead in the 20th minute thanks to an emergency striker Mikel Merino's goal from a corner kick scheme, Arsenal did not create many dangerous opportunities. Nevertheless, they successfully limited Chelsea's attacks. The visiting team managed only one shot on target in the second half.

Chelsea may have dominated ball possession up to 59 percent. However, that dominance could not be translated into opportunities. The absence of midfielder Cole Palmer affected the creativity of the visiting team, in addition to Arsenal's defense being highly disciplined after taking the lead.

The woes of Chelsea's Pedro Neto-led front line are reflected in their expected goals (xG) score. They have only recorded a total of 0.35 xG from eight attempted shots. According to Opta, this xG score is the lowest under head coach Enzo Maresca or after 43 games.

Arsenal, when they lost the ball, repeatedly pressed very high with a one-on-one strategy. The four defenders in a row joined in the pressing. When playing a low block defense, almost all players dropped into their own third of the field. Including the three attackers who also dropped back, in line with the midfielders.

Thanks to the compact defensive organization, the work of the defender duo Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba became easier. "The difference between us and them is not too far in creating chances. However, we should have created something more than that," said Maresca.

Graham's "One Nil to the Arsenal" principle is very likely to be seen again in Arteta's team for the rest of the season. They have not found a definite solution to the attack line crisis. Meanwhile, "The Cannon" will play without a pure striker until the end of the season due to injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

Since Merino started as a “number 9” from his natural position as a midfielder, Arsenal have only managed to score two goals in four league games. The one goal scored against Chelsea even came from a set piece. They have struggled to score goals from open play.

Arteta realized that his team's attack line was still far from optimal. "There were so many opportunities that we failed to take advantage of. We did a lot of things in defense to be able to attack with more open space. Many advantageous situations were just lost," he said.

Arsenal's decision-making in the final third was often spot-on, particularly on the wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. Arsenal won the ball back in Chelsea's half on numerous occasions but were unable to produce anything from the transitions.

In contrast, Arteta praised his team's defensive qualities to the skies. "We barely conceded (any meaningful chances) apart from a strange catch from David (Raya). Big credit to the team because I think they (Chelsea) are the best attacking team in the league," he concluded.

Arsenal's defense has been impressive throughout this season. They have conceded the fewest goals in the league so far, 24 goals in 29 games. The Gunners have also only conceded 93 shots on target. Only Arsenal and Liverpool (97) have recorded that number below 100 times.

The defense will also determine Arsenal's fate at the end of the season if we look at the recent trend. As long as they can keep a clean sheet, they only need one goal to win. So, don't be surprised if the chant "One Nil to the Arsenal" echoes more often when "The Cannon" appears. (AP/REUTERS)