Arsenal lost further ground at the top of the Premier League as Pedro Neto struck a wonderful equaliser to earn Chelsea a 1-1 draw in an electric encounter at Stamford Bridge.
Mikel Arteta side were winless in three matches in the league, but the victory their ailing title hopes required seemed within reach when Gabriel Martinelli broke the deadlock with a clever near-post finish in the 60th minute of a fascinating tussle.
It briefly took the wind from a Chelsea side who had played with energy and bite, but a moment of inspiration from Neto righted things for Enzo Maresca’s team, the winger rocketing the ball in from 25 yards to send Chelsea up to third and leave Arsenal’s challenge hanging by a thread.
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The hosts had sweated on the availability of Cole Palmer but their number 10 was passed fit after a knee injury and went close with the game’s first chance, David Raya throwing up an arm to tip over a swerving, dipping drive from 30 yards.
Neto has increasingly made the left wing position his own since joining from Wolves. His crossing was Chelsea’s main attacking outlet in the first half, delivering first for Noni Madueke who nodded a difficult chance wide then impudently tricking his way around Ben White and presenting Malo Gusto with a seemingly unmissable finish that he contrived to head over.
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.
Arsenal players celebrate Martinelli’s opener (John Walton/PA)
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.
Neto levelled for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (John Walton/PA)
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.