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Bellerin's first Premier League goal since January 2018 rescued a point for
10-man Arsenal, who fought back twice to secure a 2-2 draw at Chelsea despite
having David Luiz sent off on his return to Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners' chances were dealt a severe blow midway through the first half when
Luiz was sent off after taking out Tammy Abraham when he was through on goal
after Shkodran Mustafi's woeful backpass.
Jorginho made no mistake from the penalty spot to give the hosts the lead going
into the break, but the Gunners hit back early in the second half through
Gabriel Martinelli, who took advantage of N'Golo Kante's slip to score his 10th
goal of the season.
Chelsea thought they had nicked all three points when Cesar Azpilicueta bundled
the ball home with six minutes remaining, but Arsenal leveled again just three
minutes later through Bellerin to keep their slim chances of a top-four finish
alive.
A point keeps Frank Lampard's side fourth, six points clear of fifth-placed
Manchester United, who play Burnley on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Arsenal stay 10th,
10 points behind the Blues.
How the 10-man Gunners rescued a point...
Chelsea had Arsenal on the back foot from the very first whistle and the
visitors needed a last-ditch block from Mustafi to keep out Mateo Kovacic's
goal-bound shot in the seventh minute.
Andreas Christensen then nodded well wide from a corner and Tammy Abraham saw a
header saved by Leno from close range, before Callum Hudson-Odoi's attempted
cross clipped the crossbar after almost catching Bernd Leno out as the Blues'
dominance continued
Player ratings
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga (5), Azpilicueta (7), Rudiger (6),
Christensen (6), Emerson (7), Kante (6), Jorginho (7), Kovacic (6), Hudson-Odoi
(7), Abraham (6), Willian (6).
Subs: Barkley (5), Mount (6), Batshuayi (n/a).
Arsenal: Leno (7), Bellerin (7), Mustafi (4), Luiz (5), Saka
(6), Torreira (7), Xhaka (8), Pepe (6), Ozil (5), Martinelli (8), Lacazette (7).
Subs: Guendouzi (7), Holding (n/a), Willock (n/a).
Man of the match: Gabriel Martinelli.
In the end, it was a moment of madness from Mustafi that gifted Chelsea the
lead, and a numerical advantage.
The German's under-hit back pass left Leno stranded on the edge of his own
penalty area as Abraham rounded the Gunners goalkeeper. With the England forward
about slide the ball into an empty net, Luiz bundled him down from behind to
receive his marching orders.
After lengthy protests from the visitors, the Brazilian slowly made his exit
from the field, much to the delight of the home fans, and Jorginho slotted home
the spot-kick to leave the Gunners with a mountain to climb.
Despite Chelsea's dominance on the ball, the Gunners found a way back into the
match when Martinelli kept his composure on a rare Arsenal breakaway.
The 18-year-old capitalised on Kante's slip on halfway before racing through on
goal and calmly slotting the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga to bring his side
level.
Alexandre Lacazette soon had the ball in the net again as the 10-man Gunners
went for more than just a point, but his strike was correctly ruled out for a
clear offside.
What the managers said…
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard: "I am disappointed given the
situation of the game. We completely deserved to go 1-0 up. For a little bit
after that, we were getting used to them with 10 men. But we created enough
chances in the second half, it was just the same old story, we couldn't take
them. In football, basic errors can cost you points."
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta: "Time will tell if this is a
stepping stone, but at least I saw a reaction. I demand from the players that
they never give up, we have to keep playing with the spirit we showed in every
game. I'm proud of the way they reacted. They stepped up - if a team-mate makes
a mistake, they have to have their back. It's a good point in the end."
Proud of the team and the character shown tonight. #arsenal #chelseavsarsenal
#coyg pic.twitter.com/z3FzS3YzTj
Gabriel Martinelli's equaliser was his 10th goal in all competitions this
season, making him the first teenager to reach double figures in a single season
for Arsenal since Nicolas Anelka in 1998-99.
The Brazilian youngster is a real bright spot for the Gunners so far this season
and Arteta was full of praise for the 18-year-old.
"He is a great kid," Arteta said after the game. "He gets in the box. He plays
against Cesar Azpilicueta who is one of the best defenders in the league and
keeps taking him on. That is not easy."
Opta stats
Arsenal had just two shots in this game, scoring with both of them.
The Gunners have been shown more Premier League red cards against Chelsea than
they have vs any other side in the competition (8).
Jorginho's penalty saw him become the first Chelsea player to score home and
away against Arsenal in the same Premier League season since Juan Mata in
2012-13.
What's next?
Chelsea travel to Hull City on Saturday for their FA Cup fourth-round clash;
Kick-off 5.30pm.
Arsenal are also in FA Cup fourth-round action when they travel to Bournemouth
on Monday, January 27; Kick-off 7.45pm
Click Here For Official Team Sheet
Teams
Chelsea Kepa, Azpilicueta (c), Rudiger, Christensen, Emerson,
Kante (Mount 69), Jorginho, Kovacic (Barkley 66), Hudson-Odoi, Abraham, Willian
(Batshuayi 79)
Subs Not Used Caballero, Zouma, Alonso, Pedro
Booked Emerson, Christensen,
Goals Jorginho 28 (pen), Azpilicueta 84
Arsenal Leno, Bellerin (c), Mustafi, Luiz, Saka, Torreira,
Xhaka, Pepe (Holding 81), Ozil (Guendouzi 63), Martinelli (Willock 90+1),
Lacazette
Subs Not Used Martinez, Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Nketiah
Booked Guendouzi
Sent Off Luiz 26
Goals Martinelle 63, Bellerin 87
Attendance 40,577
Referee Stuart Attwell