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Arsenal Fight Back To Stay Unbeaten With Draw At Chelsea  (Sky Sports)

Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2

Mikel Arteta and Mauricio PochettinoArsenal battled back from two goals down to salvage their unbeaten record and a point at Chelsea, with a full-blooded London derby eventually ending in a 2-2 draw after goalkeeper errors at both ends.

The visitors looked on course for their first defeat of the season to their rejuvenated neighbours when David Raya was caught out by Mykhailo Mudryk's mishit cross at the start of the second half. They were already trailing to Cole Palmer's first-half penalty and had seemed short on ideas in attack.

But Robert Sanchez's poor pass out at the other end allowed Declan Rice to shoot into an empty net from 30 yards and Leandro Trossard sent the travelling supporters into delirium when he tucked in a wonderfully whipped cross from fit-again Bukayo Saka at the back post with six minutes of the 90 remaining.

Man City's win earlier in the day saw the defending champions recover top spot in the Premier League table following their defeat at the Emirates before the international break but Arsenal's fight back means they are second only on goal difference. Their comeback maintains their positive momentum.

Arteta, though, will have questions to answer about his goalkeeper. Raya looked nervous in the first half against City but survived. Against Chelsea he was exposed. Arsenal's alternative keeper Aaron Ramsdale was at home following the birth of his son but Arteta will surely be weighing up whether to reinstate his former No 1 for Tuesday's Champions League trip to Sevilla.

For Pochettino and Chelsea, they avoided a record fourth-straight Premier League loss at home to Arsenal but will be kicking themselves for not capitalising on another performance which demonstrated the strides they are making. They at least edge into the top 10 with this draw.

Player ratings

Arsenal: Raya (5); White (7), Saliba (6), Gabriel (6), Zinchenko (6); Rice (7), Odegaard (6), Jorginho (6); Saka (7), Jesus (6), Martinelli (6)

Subs: Tomiyasu (6), Smith Rowe (6), Nketiah (6), Trossard (8), Havertz (6)

Chelsea: Sanchez (5), Gusto (5), Silva (6), Colwill (6), Cucurella (6), Gallagher (6), Caicedo (6), Fernandez (7), Mudryk (7), Sterling (8), Palmer (8).

Subs: Jackson (6), Madueke (6), James (6)

Player of the match: Cole Palmer

How Arsenal grabbed a point in west London...

Chelsea have a wretched recent record on their home ground but back-to-back wins on the road before the international break had instilled growing confidence and they came flying out of the blocks against their neighbours, with Enzo Fernandez shooting narrowly over inside a minute.

In contrast, Arsenal couldn't get going, with Chelsea's determination to make an early mark on the match spilling over when Palmer trod on Gabriel Jesus' ankle and was booked. Oleksandr Zinchenko saw yellow for a trip on a too-quick Mudryk soon after as the contest heated up in the October rain.

Throughout that early period Raheem Sterling had looked dangerous running into the right channel and it was his cross which led to the penalty. Mudryk's flick gave Saliba no time to react and with the handball rule interpreted as it is at the moment, contact with his raised arm meant a penalty was inevitable once VAR Jarred Gillet took a look and sent referee Chris Kavanagh to the pitchside monitor.

Palmer had to fend off Sterling to take the spot-kick but after the wild start to the game his strike was composed, sending Raya the wrong way. The 21-year-old went close to a second 15 minutes later when he lashed just past a post and the signs are there that the summer recruit from Man City has found his feet at Chelsea now.

Arsenal offered nothing in that first 45 in an attacking sense and a nightmare moment for Raya at the start of the second half doubled their trouble. Mudryk's miscued cross floated over the Arsenal keeper, who had strayed too far from his line, and dropped inside the back post. A revived Mudryk lapped up the applause.

Raya was wobbling when he then sent a slack pass straight to Palmer on the edge of the box - although he just about managed to recover to block the shot.

At the other end, Arsenal threatened from a series of corners, with Takehiro Tomiyasu heading over as Robert Sanchez clattered into opponents and team-mates alike, but it was Chelsea who recovered to look most likely to score next, with Nicolas Jackson closed down by Raya before Palmer curled wide.

But Sanchez handed Arsenal a way back, with his pass out allowing Rice to pounce from long-range. It was another glaring goalkeeper error and this one turned the tide.

Moments after Chelsea supporters had celebrated the introduction of fit-again captain Reece James, it was another sub who made a decisive impact, with Trossard expertly guiding in Saka's cross after escaping Malo Gusto's attentions.

The Arsenal fans celebrated the equaliser as emphatically as they celebrated the winner against Man City a fortnight ago. It was worth two points less but could be another important moment in this season's title race.

Opta stats: One win in 12 Premier League games at home for Chelsea

Chelsea have won just one of their last 12 home Premier League games (D6 L5), a 3-0 victory against Luton at Stamford Bridge at the end of August.

Following Leandro Trossard's equaliser, Arsenal have now had five goals scored by substitutes in the Premier League this season with only Brighton having more (7).

Cole Palmer's opener for Chelsea was the first away goal Arsenal have conceded in the Premier League since May at Nottingham Forest, ending their run of 355 minutes without conceding on the road in the competition.

What's next?

Chelsea are back in Premier League action next Saturday when they host Brentford; kick-off 12.30pm.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are in Champions League action on Tuesday with a trip to Sevilla; kick-off 8pm.

Their next Premier League assignment is against Sheffield United at Emirates Stadium on Saturday October 28; kick-off 3pm.

Click Here for Official Teamsheet

Teams

Chelsea Sanchez, Gusto, Silva, Colwill, Cucurella, Gallagher (c), Caicedo, Enzo, Palmer (James 84), Mudryk (Jackson 66), Sterling (Madueke 84)
Subs Not Used Petrovic, Maatsen, Badiashile, Disasi, Ugochukwu, Washington
Booked Palmer, Silva, Cucurella
Goals Palmer 15 (pen), Mudryk 48

Arsenal Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko (Tomiyasu 46), Rice, Jorginho (Smith-Rowe 68), Martinelli (Trossard 78), Odegaard (c) (Havertz 78), Saka, Jesus (Nketiah 68)
Subs Not Used Hein, Kiwior, Partey, Nelson
Booked Zinchenko, Nketiah, White
Goals Rice 77, Trossard 84

Attendance 39,723

Referee Chris Kavanagh

VAR Jarred Gillett