Hector Bellerin scores late equaliser as 10-man Arsenal come from behind twice to draw with Chelsea
There are major changes to style, mindset and general team culture that Mikel Arteta must effect if he is to revive Arsenal as a great force in English football, but a single key takeaway on this compelling night felt like a start: one Shkodran Mustafi calamity is not the end of all hope.
Somehow they came back from it, a familiar trope that is almost always a preface to disaster, on this occasion a dreadful back pass from their German centre-back that led to a dreadful decision by David Luiz, that led to a red card for the Brazilian. Arsenal were 28 minutes in, one goal behind, just ten men left on the pitch and had Mustafi offered to cancel his contractual agreement there and then, one suspects a few away supporters would have preferred to battle on with nine.
Yet from there a strange thing happened, and it did Arteta great credit that a steeliness hitherto absent in this Arsenal side surprised everyone, not least their opponents, who have now conceded 11 goals in the last 15 minutes of league games this season. There was plenty more before it came to that dramatic late Hector Bellerin equaliser on 87 minutes, during which the home side twice took the lead only to lose it on both occasions.
Questions for Frank Lampard, whose side were vulnerable once again and fell victim for the first Arsenal goal to a slip from N’Golo Kante that can haunt a manager for its sheer misfortune. It allowed the game’s outstanding player, the 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli, to run with the ball deep from his own half and, after Kante slipped over, beat Kepa Arrizabalaga with the composure of a born finisher.
The Brazilian had so nearly come off in the reorganisation that followed Luiz’s red card but as Arsenal rallied in the last 15 minutes of the first half, Arteta had Rob Holding put his coat back on as he recognised the changes in his team. It demonstrated the new Arsenal manager’s belief in his side. “I was thinking about it [Martinelli’s substitution] but I didn’t want to send that message to the team,” Arteta said later.
They came back twice, first from a Jorginho penalty and then from Cesar Azpilicueta’s 84th minute goal - more than might reasonably have been expected from a side that has demonstrated a gossamer-thin confidence in recent years. Martinelli embodied what Arteta will hope is the new Arsenal, his 10th goal of the season in all competitions making him the first teenage goalscorer to reach double figures for the club since Nicolas Anelka in 1998-1999.
Lampard’s dismay was compounded by an ankle injury to Tammy Abraham that saw the striker hobble off at the end. “We have to look at ourselves,” Lampard said, “and say that again it’s a story of creating chances … we need to take them more.” His goalkeeper Arrizabalaga was beaten easily by the only two shots Arsenal had all game. The first Arsenal goal started with a header from Mustafi in his own area from a Chelsea corner and suddenly Martinelli was in a sprint at the home goal, with just Kante there for cover.
It was in the basics that Lampard felt his team were most at fault, allowing Arsenal to break on them, or not taking their chances to kill the game. He also admitted that Arsenal had “fought for it” and with that there must have been a hint of regret that Chelsea did not extinguish that hope early on.
Inexplicably, Arsenal played better after the red card around 26 minutes in and the subsequent penalty from Jorginho, having been under pressure before then. Callum Hudson-Odoi had been the standout and had clipped the bar with one shot. Then came the Mustafi moment and it looked like Arsenal had been broken beyond repair. Later BT Sport’s coverage would feature the dismissed Luiz watching the game on a screen inside the stadium like some leader-in-exile, but his decision to foul Abraham was as damaging as Mustafi’s original mistake.
The German was only playing because Sokratis had reported with illness before the weekend and Holding’s recent performances had not inspired confidence. Mustafi had started in the draw with Sheffield United at the weekend and before then his most recent outing had been in the home defeat to Chelsea at the end of last month. This, however, was a different kind of test, and Mustafi was not even under a great deal of pressure when he put his team in grave trouble.
It was a relatively simple back-pass to execute, a bouncing ball struck with the inside of his left foot and yet Mustafi left it well short for the bounding stride of Abraham. The Englishman got to the ball well before Bernd Leno and Luiz was just behind him as Abraham went to the right of the goal. Perhaps the Brazilian could not see in his peripheral vision that Mustafi had recovered behind him.
By then Leno was out of the picture so when Luiz brought down Abraham, the presence of just one opposition player between the striker and goal meant that it met the threshold for denial of a goalscoring opportunity. The video assistant referee Paul Tierney checked the decision and Luiz was sent on his way. Arteta came over to offer his sympathy to the defender, and so the rest of his Arsenal staff did the same, although really it was a needless foul.
After the penalty was dispatched by Jorginho, Stamford Bridge sang delightedly that Luiz, who in the summer departed after his second spell at their club, was “one of our own”. Having been impressed with his players’ response, Arteta did not make a change until 55 minutes, when he replaced Mesut Ozil with Matteo Guendouzi. Four minutes later Martinelli sprang clear, past the sprawling Kante and finished beautifully.
Azpilicueta’s goal from Hudson-Odoi’s cross seemed to have won the game but then Bellerin cut in from the right on his weaker left foot and struck a soft one past Arrizabalaga. Having tasted defeat late in the game against Chelsea at the Emirates, Arteta could not stop himself punching the air on the touchline – and it must have felt like a win for him.
Join me in the comments
I'm going to go into the comments section for the next 20 minutes or so, come and join me. Interested to know what you thought of Chelsea and Arsenal and whether either manager got anything wrong.
FULL TIME
Brilliant result for Arsenal. A draw at Stamford Bridge would have been decent enough had David Luiz not been sent off but with 10 men it's a real achievement. Chelsea played it too safe with a man advantage and didn't really have many ideas throughout the rest of the game. Mikel Arteta will be pleased with that!
90 mins+3 - Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2
Chelsea win a corner. It goes short, Hudson-Odoi hooks his cross straight out of play as Stamford Bridge groans in frustration.
90 mins+2 - Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2
Willock is coming on for Martinelli, who has been excellent tonight. Arteta gives him a big hug as he comes off.
Arsenal start trying to keep the ball in Chelsea corner.
90 mins - Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2
Chelsea have everyone forward, the ball is wide right with Hudson-Odoi and he slams a low cross to the near post. Batshuayi connects but bundles it wide.
GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!
BELLERIN SCORES! WOW!
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2
What a finish! Chelsea are messing about, too many bodies not doing enough, players being dragged out of position and Bellerin is given just a second too long and a yard too much space, shifts the ball onto his weaker left foot and tries a shot. You'd think there's no chance of him scoring from there but he bends the ball into the bottom corner.
87 mins - Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1
Abraham has gone down and is clearly in a bit of trouble. He's knackered his foot with that collision earlier and needs treatment/to be taken off.
Chelsea keep playing and losing the ball rather than clear or put it out of play. Abraham is back on his feet but can't run properly, hobbling about the middle of the pitch.
GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!
AZPILICUETA SCORES!
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1
Abraham walks from an offside position, the ball narrowly misses him and Azpilicueta stabs home at the near post! Chelsea have the lead back!
84 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Chelsea might have weathered the storm but they did look shaky for a while. Arsenal are having to deal with a late surge and doing their best to slow things down and waste time.
Abraham chases a ball all the way to the byline and might have injured himself. He's gone crashing into the advertising boards. Corner.
81 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Barkley slips and suddenly Lacazette can take Arsenal forward on the counter! He skips past a challenge and spots Pepe ahead of him but misjudges his pass and gives it away. Martinelli was waiting in space to his left.
Willian off, Batshuayi on, which should mean a slight change of shape.
Hudson-Odoi is dictating play outside the area, a ball is crossed into the area and Leno dives as Barkley heads it backwards towards goal! It's going in the bottom corner... saved!
Holding is replaced by Pepe.
78 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Comedy tackle by Guendouzi on Mount. That's a proper hack at his shins as the Chelsea man runs away on the break. Easy yellow card, Chelsea players are outraged. I'm not sure why, it's clearly a yellow card.
Emerson will put this cross into the box... and finds Abraham! He headers from the edge of the area and Leno can catch.
76 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Great save by Leno at his near post from Willian.
75 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Martinelli is all the way back to support at left-back as Hudson-Odoi tries to make something happen. Arsenal survive and after clearing his lines, Torreira goes down with cramp. The Chelsea fans do not enjoy the referee blowing his whistle to allow him to receive treatment.
73 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Martinelli runs up the left wing again and Chelsea have to chase him. He cuts back inside, looks up and passes across the box but it's intercepted.
Lacazette has the ball in the back of the net but is way offside.
71 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Abraham keeps turning to his left and then moaning at Willian for not being in position for the high press, and he's dead right. The strategy doesn't work if everyone isn't following the same instructions.
Gabriel Martinelli is the first teenager to score 10 goals for Arsenal in a single season (all comps) since Nicolas Anelka in 1998-99
69 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Hudson-Odoi receives a pass and Azpilicueta finally turns up to overlap. That allows him to move inside the pitch as Arsenal have to defend two players rather than one, but a shot is blocked and Arsenal slow things down.
Kante is subbed off for Mount.
66 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Well, well, well. I was right all along. Even if that goal was the result of Kante falling over at the wrong time. You can't hold it against him though, he's magic.
Lampard knows he needs to change things up and takes off Kovacic for Barkley.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!
MARTINELLI SCORES!
Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1
Out of nowhere! Chelsea have a corner, Arsenal break and Kante falls over in the middle of the pitch! Martinelli sprints away from the defence, stays calm and slots into the bottom corner!
63 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Xhaka has played really well at centre-back tonight. Abraham tries to skip past him but is tackled and bounced to the floor.
Arsenal still yet to have a shot on goal.
Chelsea starting to really squeeze the game in the final third.
60 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
The teams look pretty much as you'd imagine on their average position maps. Arsenal deep in their own half, Chelsea pushed up. Still feels like Arsenal are managing this really well.
Christensen is booked for taking out Lacazette.
57 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Chelsea finally get hold of the ball and look dangerous, Willian cuts inside and fakes to shoot all the way along the edge of the box. The ball drops to Kovacic, who tries a scissor volley inside the area and then tries to claim for a penalty after launching the shot off an Arsenal body from about half a yard. Why do players even try and claim those?
55 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Guendouzi is about to come on for Ozil, bringing a bit of dynamism to the midfield.
53 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
The ball appears to hit Saka in the box, definitely coming off his arm but he's trying to get out of the way so it's deemed not to be a penalty. Arsenal survive and break with Martinelli, who plays in Saka on the left. Rudiger flies across to launch the ball into the stands.
50 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Ozil takes a corner but it's cleared. Saka might have picked up a little injury, more likely to be a knock than a muscle thing, Chelsea press high to stop Arsenal passing out.
FOUL THROW. How has Bellerin got away with that one? Blatant foul throw!
And Kepa has nearly done a Mustafi! He passes to Jorginho even though he can see Torreira is tight to him, and Chelsea get lucky that Arsenal can't exploit the panic!
47 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Chelsea on the attack from the start, Azpilicueta runs in to space and fires a shot/cross into the area which Kante controls and hits at goal.... blocked. Martinelli tries to break away with the ball but is bundled into the advertising boards.
KICK OFF 2
We're back! No changes for Arsenal, even though Holding looked ready to come on at the end of the first half.
Bad news, Arsenal fans
This is the first time Arsenal haven't had a single shot in the first half of a PL game since May 2015 vs Man Utd
This might sound stupid, but I don't think Arsenal are completely out of this game.
HALF TIME
Arteta will be pleased if he can come out of this with a 1-0 defeat now. Well, not pleased, but it'll be a clever bit of work if they can avoid conceding again. Chelsea will very likely come out on the attack in the second half and take advantage of the extra man, move the ball more quickly and send players forward. It's Chelsea's game to lose.
45 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Chelsea are playing a little timidly here but it might just be game management. There's no need to use up all their energy now and Arsenal are buoyed by going down a man. Better wait until the final 20 minutes when Arsenal are knackered and then pummel them?
42 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Arteta is coaching Pepe from the sidelines, urging him to work harder off the ball and chase it. It's working. Arsenal are playing their best football of the game now they're down to 10. They're actually keeping it and forming attacks.
39 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Rob Holding is going to come on for Arsenal. Will be either Pepe or Ozil who gets hauled off and I'd imagine Pepe is the better choice to be removed, considering how all he wants to do is nutmeg people.
Could also be Martinelli, since Chelsea are targeting the Arsenal left side. Pepe has the potential to at least make something happen.
37 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Arsenal patiently passing around their own half until they give the ball away. Pepe keeps trying to dribble past everyone then moans when he loses it.
Watford are now 3 points behind Arsenal and they didn't even bother with the first 4 months of the season
— GeorgeWeahsCousin (@WeahsCousin) January 21, 2020
35 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Hudson-Odoi forces Leno into a save.
Arsenal are in a 4-4-1 shape, dropping into a low block and having to panic react to Chelsea overloading them all over the pitch. Hudson-Odoi has already won the battle vs Saka but Xhaka reads his run inside and cuts it out.
David Luiz has given away more penalties than any other player in the PL this season (3)
33 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
Arsenal really are bad aren't they? They're 10th in the league and likely to drop by the end of the night if the score stays the same and it's the same old problems. No bite, no bravery, no aggression, slow passing, skills when there's no need, and of course, dreadful defending. Mustafi has been walking error for years, Luiz is about 10 steps away from a booking at any moment. Arteta must have thought he could turn this team into something but it's looking increasingly clear that coaching might not save this group. Individually they are great players, but it's an awful team.
30 mins - Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
"David Luiz he's one of our own" rings around the Bridge
— Kieran Canning (@KieranCanning) January 21, 2020
Mustafi pic.twitter.com/ua5AEQCYSb
— arseblog (@arseblog) January 21, 2020
Both of David Luiz's PL red cards have come in Chelsea vs Arsenal games at Stamford Bridge
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) January 21, 2020
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!
JORGINHO SCORES!
Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0
The little run up, the hop/skip and Jorginho places the ball in the bottom corner. Leno at least reads where the ball is going but it's tucked brilliantly in the net.
RED CARD AND PENALTY!
LUIZ HAS BEEN SENT OFF! Last man/denying a goalscoring chance. It's an easy decision to make for the referee and now Arsenal are in real trouble.
26 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
Arsenal's passing is awful. Nobody in midfield is showing for a pass, nobody is brave enough to receive and turn with it. Everything is being done by the centre-backs, who go to Xhaka or Torreira, who can only go backwards.
The wide players need to be better placed to offer a solution.
But wait a minute! ABRAHAM IS THROUGH ON GOAL! An awful back pass has put Abraham in! The goalie can't reach, he goes round him, and Luiz takes him down! PENALTY!
23 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
Pepe plays a dreadful pass inside the pitch and sends Chelsea away on the counter but they can only win a corner. Hudson-Odoi receives it short, Willian and Emerson link on the left and a fizzed, low drive into the box is turned over the bar by Xhaka.
Chelsea have had eight corners already. That possession stat has swung as well - it's now about 50-50.
21 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
A mistake by Kante! We've seen it. He over-runs the ball and gives possession away in the Arsenal half.
Arsenal are keeping and moving the ball well in their own half but cannot seem to figure out how to progress play beyond the centre of the pitch.
18 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
Hudson-Odoi is such a good player. Not sure he means this one but a cross to the back post from wide left nearly beats Leno, dipping over the goalkeeper and off the top of the bar.
Arteta is up on his feet trying to issue instructions to his team, who started well but are definitely second best at the moment. They've had the majority of possession too - 63 per cent - so far but it's all in their own half.
15 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
Pepe is playing as though in the Ice Cap Zone from Sonic 3, slipping whenever he tries to change direction quickly. Ozil tries to give him a way to take on the full-back but again he falls over.
Chelsea get forward, Hudson-Odoi works some magic ont he right, tricks Martinelli easily and finds Rudiger at the back of the box. Rudiger heads across goal and Abraham is there! His header is straight at the goalkeeper. Great chance.
13 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
Mustafi tries to break the lines with a long forward pass, Jorginho intercepts and is then tackled at half way. Arsenal try to break but can't and the move breaks down.
David Luiz is booed as he gets the ball and plays a bad pass to Mustafi, who takes a swipe at Abraham's ankle while clearing it. A few dirty tackles going on in this game.
10 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
Chelsea win another corner on the right side. Torreira is blocking Azpilicueta and gets an arm in the face, which gives the referee some work to do. Azpilicueta is fired up for this one.
Torreira marks Azpilicueta but doesn't watch the ball and is beaten to the near post, the ball goes into the middle and Rudiger gets a head to the cross! He should put that on target, doesn't, and its a goal kick.
8 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
Pepe takes on Emerson and wins but Ozil is muscled out of receiving the pass.
Hudson-Odoi takes on Saka soon after, completely burns past him and plays a one-two - he's in! He cuts back! Azpilicueta flicks it on round his heel to Kovacic to shoot! He puts his foot through it and Mustafi's testicles prevent the ball reaching the goal.
Mustafi, suffice to say, is definitely feeling that one. Chelsea are furious that the referee stops play to allow the prostrate Mustafi to receive treatment.
5 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
Abraham gets a shove through his back from Luiz and gives his lower behind a little rub. Luiz has made sure to leave a knee him in there. A "welcome to the game!" present. Hudson-Odoi wins a corner, it's curled in and Arsenal head away but only to blue shirts.
Chelsea send a lot of bodies forward which means Kovacic is all on his own at halfway and Arsenal have obviously prepared for this, charging at him with four players to try and close the pass.
3 mins - Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0
This is very weird. BT Sport broadcast the first 30 seconds from a drone, which makes it feel like we're all living in a dream world rather than a LONDON DERBY WITH FIRE AND MUSCLES. Maybe we are.
We're back to a standard camera view now. On the pitch, Chelsea have started aggressively and already made a few strong challenges. Saka has skied a cross from the left. Quite end to end.
KICK OFF
Arsenal get the game started.
The teams are out
Should be a great game this. Really interested to see how both managers approach it, feels like either can win and I don't think they'll want to do that by grinding out a result.
Is Kepa good enough?
The most expensive goalkeeper in the world of all time has a tendency to drop back to his goalline rather than attack the ball. Joe Cole has just analysed his decision-making as BT Sport discuss what level the goalie is at. It's hard to talk about goalies having never played as one, nor really knowing what the rules of the craft are supposed to be, but I know that they're not supposed to let so many goals in. For that reason I have concluded that Kepa is: quite good.
Old pals
This photo makes Petr Cech look a lot taller than I realised he was. Or maybe Bellerin is smaller. This is a mystery that might never be solved - buckle in!
Hector Bellerin is captain
No surprises for Chelsea. Looks like a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 with Emerson in at left-back which puts Azpilicueta back to right-back.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is brilliant fun to watch, Willian has been excellent recently and Tammy Abraham is the biggest threat to Arsenal's goal.
The big news for Arsenal is that Hector Bellerin has been named captain, a move that makes perfect sense to me.
Tonight's skipper. ��#CHEARSpic.twitter.com/Go23yf4X7s
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 21, 2020
He personifies that Wenger era of player, a youth prospect signed from Barcelona, total hipster (I mean this in a nice way), the sort who actually reads those fashion sections of men's magazines, a North London haircut. He's also a great player.
It's a 4-2-3-1 for Arteta's side. Look out for Gabriel Martinelli, who is really special.
Starting lineups
A must win
Mikel Arteta's words, not mine. The new Arsenal box (is he still new?) reckons his team absolutely have to win tonight in order to have any chance whatsoever of reaching the top four. I'm not sure it matters - they're nowhere near it.
The 10 point gap to them and Chelsea is definitely surmountable but having watched a lot of Arsenal, and more generally the Premier League, they are a work in progress and inconsistent to the point of unpredictability. There are clear signs of progress, a change in style and the players seem to enjoy Arteta's coaching thus far but the team isn't good enough.
Chelsea can be really dangerous in attack when they get going but tend to be better when they have space to run into. Arsenal will have done their home work and may opt to try and win the ball high up the park - Chelsea's defenders are often left isolated by the rest of the team pushing up the pitch and a single mistake could lead to high quality chances to score.
The team news will be with us any minute. Expect plenty of action and a few goals.
