Pedro hits the Net(o) as Arsenal let lead slip and Chelsea secure deserved 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge
By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 1 v Arsenal 1
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Pedro Neto secured a point for Chelsea with a fine equaliser as the Blues drew 1-1 against Arsenal in a titanic encounter at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea go third in the Premier League – level with the north Londoners on 19 points.
Liverpool will be licking their hands with glee as they extend their lead at the top by five points to second place Manchester City who are four points ahead of the two top London outfits.
Neither side really had a sustained attacking threat. Lots of excellent set-up play, the occasional howler of a miss with the goal gaping and a few players gaining extra minutes after injury.
A draw was on the cards and the cards are rarely wrong.
Chelsea had the first effort on goal on three minutes – a 25 yard screamer from Cole Palmer which David Raya expertly tipped over his crossbar for a corner.
Arsenal, by contrast looked especially dangerous at corners and the Blues did well to contain the north Londoners on eight , minutes when a Declan Rice corner caused the Blues to defend heroically.
While Arsenal started to dominate possession, the Blues became increasingly reliant of breakaways. Noni headed wide from just an attack on 18 minutes when Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto worked the left flank.Levi Colwill was the first player to get a yellow card for a needless challenge on 20 minutes.
Malo Gusto missed a sitter on 24 minutes, when some teasing play by Neto on the left, saw the Portuguese winger to send over the perfect byline cross, but in-running Gusto somehow headed over the empty goal.
Arsenal's high pressure caused Chelsea to loos possession of the ball from their own goal kick on 26 minutes, resulting in Gabriel Martinelli having a goal-bound shot – Robert Sanchez was equal to the task batting the ball away to safety.
Arsenal took the lead on 32 minutes and it showed Chelsea's lack of concentration A quick free-kick saw Rice nip in behind the Chelsea back four and slot home from close range.
VAR intervened to check for an offside and deemed thee former Chelsea youth player was just offside and the goal was disallowed.
It was a wake-up call to the home side who were struggling to wrestle control of the game back from the Gooners.
Ben White got a yellow for a foul on Neto on 39 minutes.
There were no changes by either side at half-time.
Colwill was just an outstretched leg away from opening the scoring on 52 minutes.
Noni's perfect in-swinging right wing cross was met by the left boot of the defender, but his close-range effort tickled onto the top of the Arsenal net.
Ex-Blue Kai Havertz got a yellow card on 56 minutes for not walking off the pitch to have a cut to his head attended to. He tried to hit the ground, but Michael Oliver was having none of it, and brandished the card for dissent.
Arsenal took the lead against the run of play on 60 minutes when a cross penalty area drive by Martin Odegaard went straight to unmarked Martinelli, who cushioned the ball and slotted home coolly from a slight angle on the left.
Chelsea opted to bring on Enzo and Mykhailo Mudryk in an attempt to alter the new direction favouring the Gunners.
Off went Romeo Lavia and Noni – both on 68 minutes.
Enzo's first touch was to set up Neto in the middle of the pitch. He took a touch before letting fly with a wonderful left-footed daisy-cutter that arrowed past Raya too level the scores.
Chelsea brought on Reece James for Gusto to counter the threat of Gabriel Jesus who was brought on for Arsenal with 10 minutes to go – replacing Bukayo Saka who limped off.
As spaces started to open up where once they were shut tight, either side was a successful counter-attack or set piece away from winning.
Teams: Chelsea:Sanchez, Cucurella, Colwill, Neto, Noni, Jackson, Palmer, Caicedo, Gusto, Fofana, Lavia
Subs:Jorgensen, Tosin, Badiashile, Enzo, Mudryk, Felix, Nkunku, James, Veiga
Arsenal:Raya, Saliba, White, Partey, Gabriel, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Timber, Havertz, Rice
Subs: Neto, Jesus, Kiwior, Zinchenko,Trossard, Jorginho, Merino, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri
Referee: Michael Oliver
