Arsenal star Bukayo Saka argued he "had to go down" when quizzed on the penalty he won in the Gunners' Premier League victory at Chelsea.
The England international went to ground after being held by Blues defender Cesar Azpilicueta in the closing stages, scoring the resulting penalty to hand Mikel Arteta's side a 4-2 victory. It was the first penalty he had taken since seeing his spot-kick saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Euro 2020 final, and he found the corner with Edouard Mendy diving the wrong way.
The win moved Arsenal level with fourth-place Tottenham with both teams still having six games to play. After three successive defeats, it potentially puts even more pressure on the upcoming North London Derby, and Saka attempted to dismiss doubts over Jon Moss' decision to point to the spot.
"Of course [Azpilicueta] is going to be angry with me but it is what it is. It was a penalty," Saka said.
"He was holding me for five seconds. I had to go down."
Azpilicueta had earlier scored Chelsea's second equaliser of the game, converting Mason Mount's cross to make it 2-2 at the break. However, the Spanish international ended the game confronting his own team's supporters in a game played in front of a reduced-capacity crowd thanks to Chelsea's restricted operating licence.
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Before the trip to Stamford Bridge, Arsenal had lost three in a row and damaged their chances of a top four finish. However, speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Saka made it clear he and his teammates were desperate to deliver a response.
"We wanted to give the fans something to believe in us and I think we've done that today," the 20-year-old said. "We showed fight, character and it's a huge result for us.
"It means a lot to us. Losing three games in a row is really difficult."
Eddie Nketiah had put Arsenal ahead early on with his first Premier League goal in more than a year, with Timo Werner levelling things up when his shot from the edge of the penalty area was deflected beyond Aaron Ramsdale. Emile Smith Rowe and Azpilicueta then exchanged goals before the break, and Nketiah scored his second of the evening in the second period before Saka's spot-kick sealed victory.
Arsenal and Tottenham have an identical record after the Gunners' result in west London, with both racking up 18 wins, three draws and 11 defeats in their 32 games. However, Spurs' superior goal difference means the Gunners may be required to win the derby on 12 May.
Before then, Arsenal have games against Manchester United, West Ham and Leeds. Spurs' intervening matches are against Brentford, Leicester City and Liverpool.
