Arsenal 2 Chelsea 2
It was the Premier League match of the season and a game that had everything - save for a winner.
The epic Emirates stalemate threw up 33 chances, four of which were taken, as well as a controversial penalty decision, brilliant saves, glaring misses and a shot from Alexis Sanchez that rattled one post, then the other and still somehow stayed out.
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When the dust settled on last night’s 2-2 thriller, neither Arsenal nor Chelsea will have been satisfied with the result.
For the Blues, the two dropped points means they remain third, a point behind Manchester United and 16 shy of Manchester City. The Gunners stay in sixth, a point behind Tottenham, although that gap could widen this evening, if their north London rivals beat West Ham.
Still, a point was more than most Arsenal fans expected as the clock ticked into stoppage time last night. Jack Wilshere had given the home side the lead with a rasping shot on 63 minutes, but the advantage lasted for just four minutes.
Hector Bellerin’s clumsy challenge on Eden Hazard resulted in a penalty and the Belgian made no mistake with his spot kick.
Marcos Alonso then made it 2-1 for the visitors six minutes from time, with the Spanish defender flicking home Davide Zappacosta’s sweet cross - although not for the first time this season, Arsenal’s defence looked amateurish.
It was tough for the Gunners to take, given their part in a rip-roaring contest in which Thibaut Courtois had made a series of brilliant saves to deny Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette.
Not that Chelsea hadn’t missed their own chances at the other end, with Alvaro Morata and Hazard both firing wide with the goal at their mercy.
And then came the dramatic denouement as Bellerin atoned for his earlier error by striking a sumptuous half-volley past Courtois in the penultimate minute of stoppage time.
It was a goal the Gunners deserved at the end of a game that showcased the best of the Premier League.
For Arsene Wenger, of course, the result would have been different but for the referee. Three days after he slammed the officiating of Mike Dean for awarding West Brom a late penalty, the Arsenal manager was at it again, labelling Chelsea’s spot kick “farcical”.
Most pundits agreed, however, that while Hazard went down too easily, there was contact between his foot and Bellerin’s, and that referee Anthony Taylor was right to point to the spot.
Wenger didn’t see it that way, blasting: “What I find terrible is that we have just seen is a great football game and we talk only about things that are nothing to do with football… games are spoiled by factors you cannot determine. We can only continue to play the way we want to play and hope things go for us.”
If Wenger was kept busy answering questions about the penalty decision, for Chelsea boss Antonio Conte the subject was the performance of Morata.
The Spanish striker squandered several chances to score, including one in the last minute that would have restored Chelsea’s lead.
“He has to continue to work and continue to improve,” said Conte. “It is a pity, he had many chances to score, but I’m very happy with his commitment and effort for the team.”
Last night’s Premier League result
Tonight’s Premier League fixture
- Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham United (8pm, live on Sky Sports)
