What Jurrien Timber Said To Enzo Maresca During Arsenal V Chelsea Clash

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Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber was overheard telling Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca to “try harder” during a tense exchange in the final moments of the Gunners’ 1-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Merino’s 20th-minute header proved to be the decisive goal in a match with few clear-cut chances. The win was a crucial one for Arsenal, who had drawn two and lost one of their previous three Premier League matches. The result reduced Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to 12 points, keeping Mikel Arteta’s side in the title race.

For Chelsea, the defeat was another setback, especially after showing signs of resurgence with four consecutive wins across all competitions. The Blues were also without their key playmaker, Cole Palmer, whose absence left them struggling to create opportunities.

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Throughout the match, Maresca was visibly frustrated on the touchline, and with time running out, he engaged in a brief but intense conversation with Timber. At the time, the nature of their exchange was unclear, leaving both Arsenal and Chelsea fans puzzled.

However, pitch-side microphones picked up Timber’s response to the Chelsea manager. After Maresca appeared to accuse him of going down too easily following a shove from Enzo Fernández, the Dutch defender fired back: “Try harder! Try harder! Congratulations.”

Despite the heated moment, the two eventually shook hands before parting ways.

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Jurrien Timber was one of Arsenal’s standout performers on the day, playing the full 90 minutes as the Gunners extended their unbeaten run against Chelsea to six matches. The Blues have not beaten Arsenal since August 2021, when Romelu Lukaku and Reece James scored in a 2-0 victory under Thomas Tuchel.

Despite Chelsea’s disappointing result, Maresca remained optimistic about his team’s progress.

“We struggled a little bit in the first 20 minutes,” Maresca said in his post-match press conference. “After that, we started to control the game and create some chances. The second half was 50-50. The big difference was set-piece strategy.

“We competed well, but they scored from a set-piece, and they are masters at that. It’s a shame, but my feeling is that we are moving in the right direction.”