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3 positives & negatives from Arsenal's evenly contested draw at Chelsea

  • Gunners drew 1-1 with London rivals Chelsea
  • One man's return made an impact
  • Two key players picked up injuries
ByLennie Teague|
It was honours even at Stamford Bridge
It was honours even at Stamford Bridge | Crystal Pix/MB Media/GettyImages
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Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening as they fell even further behind league leaders Liverpool.

Gabriel Martinelli put the Gunners ahead on the hour mark when he beat Robert Sanchez with a neat finish from a tight angle. The Blues soon levelled up, however, as Pedro Neto's well-struck effort from range beat a despairing David Raya. The two sides fought it out in the remaining minutes to share the points, with Leandro Trossard missing a couple of gilt-edged opportunities late on.

In an evenly contested game that was justified by the result, there are three positives and negatives for Arsenal to take.

Positive #1: Impact of Martin Odegaard's return

Martin Odegaard
The Gunners look much better with their captain back | Marc Atkins/GettyImages

After two months out of Premier League action, Martin Odegaard was named in the Arsenal starting XI despite having returned to full training less than a week ago.

The Norway captain improved his side massively as he not only created chances but was also quick to try pick up on any loose passes by the Chelsea backline. Odegaard created four chances for his teammates throughout and grabbed an assist when his neatly placed cross fell to the feet of Gabriel Martinelli who scored the opener.

Despite the result, Arsenal looked that bit better in attack and midfield with their captain back in action. It is hard to argue that the Gunners' improved performance was largely down to Odegaard's return.

Negative #1: Chelsea's chances

Malo Gusto
Chelsea had plenty of chances against Arsenal | Marc Atkins/GettyImages

Chelsea had some good chances to score throughout the game, particularly in the first half, and seemed to carve the Gunners open at times. Enzo Maresca's side had 17 shots during the 90 minutes.

The Blues failed to take advantage of some clear cut chances and Arsenal arguably got lucky not to concede to the likes of Malo Gusto and Wesley Fofana. Both defenders had chances to score from point blank range but neither could find the target.

Arsenal must do something about this as they can not allow their opponents to have so many chances without being made to pay. Mikel Arteta's side were fortunate not to be punished for their occasional sloppiness against Chelsea.

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