Martin Odegaard’s return to Arsenal not enough as Gunners held to 1-1 draw against Chelsea

Chelsea and Arsenal played out a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge as Pedro Neto and Gabriel Martinelli scored the goals.

Martin Odegaard’s return to Arsenal not enough as Gunners held to 1-1 draw against Chelsea

Arsenal and Chelsea are now level on points in the PL (Via X/@Arsenal)

Arsenal and Chelsea played out an exciting draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. With goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Pedro Neto, both sides shared a point each as they remain tied on total points. Arsenal weren’t able to claim all three points despite the return of midfielder and captain Martin Odegaard. Arsenal also suffered further setbacks as both Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice had to be subbed off with injuries.

The game exploded to life with a Kai Havertz goal against his former club, although VAR chalked off the same seconds later, citing offside. With the score 0-0, the second half had all to play for.

YouTube video

Arsenal managed to take the lead in the 60th minute through Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian picked up the ball unmarked at the far post as he beat Robert Sanchez at his near post.

FS Video

As in the past, several fans and critics turned on the Spanish goalkeeper for his ‘poor’ display, although Chelsea didn’t go home empty handed. In a moment of brilliance, Pedro Neto caught out David Raya as he fired in low and hard from outside the box.

Several spurned chances, including an unbelievable miss from Malo Gusto and a 1v1 for Martinelli also became talking points from the match.

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Enzo Maresca makes bold claim following nervy draw against Arsenal

Enzo Maresca has brought about a stark change in mentality and style of play at Chelsea. From helping his side get into the top four to losing just two of their last ten games, Maresca’s Blues are a cut above what the fans have been accustomed to in previous seasons. Despite the ‘unfavorable’ result, Maresca appeared confident.

Enzo Maresca vs Arsenal
Enzo Maresca is confident that Chelsea will win games like ‘these’ in the future (Via X/@ChelseaFC)

Game by game, sooner or later, we’re gonna win.

Enzo Maresca told the press via Hayters TV

He also stated that his side have lost games where they’ve deserved to win and vice versa. In a study released by The Athletic FC, Maresca’s Chelsea had the most ‘difficult’ set of games since the start of the season. The Italian deserves a lot of credit for Chelsea’s current form, both domestically and in the Conference League.

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The Blues play their next game against Leicester following the International break, before hosting Aston Villa. Despite having a surplus of players at his disposal, it appears that the manager has found a way to balance his ‘massive’ squad. Chelsea are in third with 19 points, just four points behind Manchester City in second.