Chelsea moved up to third in the Premier League table after Pedro Neto’s second-half stunner saw the Blues come from behind to draw 1-1 with Arsenal.
Gabrielle Martinelli had given the visitors to Stamford Bridge the lead on the hour with a close-range finish but ten minutes later, moment after a tactical switch from Enzo Maresca, Neto arrowed a low drive from outside the area into the bottom corner for 1-1.
With Nottingham Forest losing 3-1 to Newcastle United earlier in the day, the draw means Chelsea moved up to third place on 19 points, level with Arsenal in fourth, Forest in fifth and Brighton & Hove Albion in sixth.
Wholesale changes
As has been common so far this season, Enzo Maresca made 11 changes for our game with Noah on Thursday night so it came as no surprise to see wholesale changes once more for today’s clash.
Robert Sanchez was back in goal, with Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella in defence.
Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia were in midfield and Cole Palmer was fit enough to start ahead of them in a more advanced position. Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto were back on the flanks and Nicolas Jackson led the line once more.
Before kick-off, there was a performance of the Last Post as fans of both Chelsea and Arsenal paid their respects as part of Remembrance Sunday.
The atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge was electric from before the first ball was kicked and Palmer had the Blues on their feet inside the opening three minutes as he struck a powerful 20-yard drive which had to be tipped over the bar.
Gusto was pushing high up the pitch when in possession and was finding himself in space deep in Arsenal’s half. The France Under-21 international was next to have an effort, although this time it was blocked by the defender.
Arsenal enjoyed a period of possession and applied some pressure without really troubling Sanchez and it was Chelsea who created the next clear opening, when a counter-attack saw Palmer release Neto and he picked out Madueke at the far post but the England international was unable to head towards goal under pressure.
Neto then produced an incredible cross from the left to find Gusto inside the six-yard box but unfortunately the defender headed over the bar.
Arsenal had a glorious chance when Gabriel Martinelli found himself with the ball inside the left of our penalty area but a combination of his tame shot from eight yards and Sanchez’s left arm meant the danger was averted and the Blues immediately set off on the attack, with Madueke having a shot blocked.
Lucky escape
Chelsea then enjoyed a real moment of good fortune as the Blues’ defence switched off at an Arsenal free-kick inside our half and Kai Havertz was played through on goal, leaving the forward to toe-poke the ball beyond Sanchez for what the Arsenal fans believed to be 1-0. However, the German had just strayed offside and the goal was ruled out with the help of VAR.
Chelsea enjoyed a strong finish to the second half, with Jackson attacking runs twice earning free-kicks in dangerous positions. But on each occasion, Palmer’s effort struck the wall. There was also slick attack which Arsenal just managed to snuff out in time, with the England attacker ready to get a shot away.
The Blues continued to pose the greater threat at the start of the second half, as an in-swinging cross from Madueke was volleyed on to the roof of the net from six yards by Fofana.
Quick-fire goals
But it was to be the visitors who took the lead around the hour mark when Martinelli was left unmarked once more and the Brazilian controlled the cross from the right before firing the ball past Sanchez at the near post from close range.
Arsenal were on the ascendency at this point and Jurrien Timber shot wide from 20 yards after a mazy from from left back.
But minutes after Maresca had brought on Mykhailo Mudryk on the left wing and switched Neto to the right, the Portuguese found a pocket of space 30 yards from goal, shifted the ball to his left to create the space and arrowed a low 25-yard drive into the bottom corner for 1-1.
Jackson had the goal in the net soon after but the striker knew when running through on goal that he was offside and the flag was rightly raised.
Reece James was introduced with eight minutes remaining and his challenge on Raya in goal resulted in Jackson having a header easily saved by the Arsenal goalkeeper.
Arsenal thought they were set to score when the ball was cut back to substitute Gabriel Jesus eight yards out but his shot hit the face of the diving Sanchez and when Leandro Trossard blazed the rebound over the bar, the offside flag went up anyway.
Both teams went in search of the winner in injury-time, with a dangerous Neto cross just evading those in the box and Trossard failing to make decent contact with William Saliba’s cross with the final kick of the game, although the offside flag did go up.
What it means
Chelsea are now in third place on 19 points, the same amount as Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion below them.
Manchester City are second with four points more and it is Liverpool who lead the way on 28 points.
What next
Next up for Chelsea is Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday for a 12.30pm kick-off in front of the TNT Sports cameras.
The teams
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto (James 82), Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia (Fernandez 67), Caicedo (c); Madueke (Mudryk 68), Palmer, Neto; Jackson (Nkunku 88)
Subs not used: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Veiga, Joao Felix
goal scorer: Neto 70
Bookings: Colwill 21, Neto 33, Madueke 45+1, Cucurella 80
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Partey, Rice (Merino 71), Odegaard; Saka (Jesus 81), Martinelli (Trossard 71), Havertz
Subs not used: Neto, Zinchenko, Lewis-Skelly, Kiwior, Jorginho, Nwaneri
goal scorer: Martinelli 60
Bookings: White 39, Havertz 56
Referee: Michael Oliver
