Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal: Pedro Neto earns Blues point against Gunners in further boost to Liverpool's title hopes

Evening Standard

·10 November 2024

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal: Pedro Neto earns Blues point against Gunners in further boost to Liverpool's title hopes

Blues move up to third after coming from behind

Pedro Neto’s first Premier League goal for Chelsea earned them a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

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The London rivals went into the match level on points and for an hour there was nothing to separate them on the pitch either, with Malo Gusto wasting a big chance for the Blues and Kai Havertz having a goal ruled out by VAR for offside against his former club.

The deadlock was broken on the hour mark, when Martin Odegaard, on his return to the starting lineup, dinked a ball to the back post and Gabriel Martinelli fired a finish past Robert Sanchez at the near post.

But the Gunners could not end a winless run that now stretches four matches in the Premier League, as Neto was allowed space 20 yards out and he took full advantage, drilling a low strike into the bottom corner.

It’s a result that will leave Liverpool delighted, Arne Slot’s side now nine points clear of Arsenal and Chelsea heading into the international break.

Maresca's only change from the draw with Manchester United was to bring Marc Cucurella in at left-back in place of Reece James and their backline limited Arsenal's openings in the first half, Martinelli striking the best of them straight at Robert Sanchez after Bukayo Saka's blocked shot broke to his feet.

Home fans taunted Kai Havertz with cries of "Chelsea reject". They were briefly silenced after 33 minutes when the player that scored their team's winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final cleverly evaded Levi Colwill and rolled the ball beneath Sanchez following a quickly taken free-kick. A protracted VAR check belatedly ruled Havertz had been offside.

The game felt like a single goal might settle it and it looked to have arrived on the hour mark. Martin Odegaard, making his first start since September following injury, received the ball from Thomas Partey on the edge of the box and flighted a deep cross to the back post where Arsenal had outnumbered Chelsea.

It landed at the feet of Martinelli, who cushioned it down then clipped it inside the gap left at his near post by Sanchez.

The goal disturbed Chelsea whose confident rhythms in possession from the first half were suddenly gone.

Arsenal looked to take advantage, Jurrien Timber skating through the midfield beyond three players and sending a low shot fractionally wide.

Maresca needed somebody to take charge and Neto decisively took up the challenge.

Enzo Fernandez laid it off but with 30 yards to goal there was little sense of what was to come and Neto profited from the element of surprise, leathering the ball into the bottom corner past Raya.

Arsenal had the chance to win it with the final kick of the match as William Saliba played the ball across the face of goal, but Leandro Trossard’s touch took it beyond Kai Havertz and wide of the far post.