Arsenal fight back to snatch draw against Chelsea in Premier League

Rice and Trossard strike to pinch a point in London derby

Arsenal's Belgian midfielder #19 Leandro Trossard (centre left) celebrates with teammates after scoring their second goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in London on October 21, 2023. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /Show less

Arsenal stung Chelsea with a stunning late fightback as they came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s side looked to be heading to a first defeat of the season when Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross-shot looped over David Raya minutes after the interval, adding to the lead given to them by Cole Palmer’s first-half penalty.

The visitors were far from their free-flowing best and Mauricio Pochettino’s side, inspired by the increasingly influential Palmer on the right of a front three, were for three-quarters of the game good value for what would have been a third straight league win.

But the pendulum swung when Robert Sanchez’s careless pass presented the ball to Declan Rice who cut the arrears, before Leandro Trossard stunned the home fans into silence with a close-range finish in the closing minutes to earn Arsenal a draw and move them level on points at the top of the Premier League.

Palmer said: "We're obviously very disappointed not to get the three points but Arsenal are a very good side and one of the best teams in the league. We went toe-to-toe with them.

"I try to show the manager every day in training what I can do - work hard and try and repay him because he puts a lot of faith in me. I'm loving it at Chelsea. Every day is good even off the pitch with the lads. There is a good vibe and everything is good."

For the first time under Pochettino, Chelsea started without a recognised striker, Raheem Sterling instead lining up centrally, flanked by in-form pair Palmer and Mudryk.

They took the lead after 14 minutes. Sterling crossed from the right into the six-yard box, and as William Saliba leapt with an arm raised, Mudryk’s header cannoned off it from close range. It took several minutes for referee Chris Kavanagh to be called to the pitchside monitor, but once checked there was little delay in awarding a penalty.

Palmer dispatched coolly past Raya for his second Chelsea goal.

Chelsea might have pulled further clear in the closing minutes of the half, Sterling with a familiar burst down the right, slipping the ball to Malo Gusto who showed the finishing instincts of a full-back and ballooned over.

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  Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta talks himself into a yellow card. AFP

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  Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka have words. AFP

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  Chelsea's Marc Cucurella, left, and Arsenal's Leandro Trossard leave the field. AP

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  Arsenal's Leandro Trossard scores their second goal. Reuters

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  Leandro Trossard celebrates with teammates after scoring to make it 2-2 during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal. AFP

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  Thiago Silva of Chelsea is challenged by Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal. Getty

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  Arsenal's Declan Rice celebrates with his teammates after scoring to make it 2-1. PA

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  Mykhailo Mudryk celebrates with his teammates after scoring to make it 2-0. EPA

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  Arsenal's goalkeeper David Raya fails to stop a shot by Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk. AP

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  Cole Palmer of Chelsea scores the team's first goal from the penalty spot. Getty

The second half began with a moment to forget for Arsenal goalkeeper Raya. Ben White gave the ball away to Conor Gallagher inside the Chelsea half, and carrying the ball up the left flank he fed the overlapping Mudryk.

There seemed to be little on as the Ukrainian assessed options inside the box. Raya was positioned ready for a cross, but in doing so he left too much room behind him into which Mudryk’s ball drifted, sailing clean over the keeper, who flapped helplessly as it landed in the net.

Raya’s afternoon was going from bad to worse. Minutes after conceding, he was almost culpable for a Chelsea third when he rolled the ball recklessly to the feet of Palmer who narrowly failed to nip around the goalkeeper and bury Arsenal.

Then, with Arteta’s side looking beaten, fortune turned in their favour. Rice hauled them back into it with 14 minutes to play and it was another goalkeeping error, this time from Sanchez.

Chelsea’s summer signing has repeatedly been culpable in recent games of conceding possession with poor distribution. Here, under little pressure, he passed the ball straight to the feet of Rice, who with quickness of thought thumped it first time from 30 yards beyond the stranded keeper.

Then the final sting for Pochettino.

Bukayo Saka was given time on the edge of the box to shift the ball from right foot to left, and with vision and precision, he picked out the run of Trossard who stole in behind Chelsea with a lunging right leg to divert it past Sanchez.