Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal: Player ratings as spoils shared in west London

Arsenal were forced to settle for a point at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea.

The excitement was palpable among supporters 75 minutes before kick off as Martin Odegaard's return to the starting XI was confirmed. Declan Rice was also fit enough to be included in Mikel Arteta's XI, while Cole Palmer was also involved from the first whistle.

It was the Chelsea star who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening exchanges as he escaped Thomas Partey and unleashed a fierce shot from distance which was well saved by David Raya. Malo Gusto then spurned a gilt-edged chance for the Blues before Gabriel Martinelli was denied by Robert Sanchez at the other end after the Gunners won possession back high up the pitch.

The remainder of the first-half was pretty dreary, although Arsenal thought they'd taken the lead when Kai Havertz poked home from Declan Rice's quick free-kick, but the German's opener was ruled out for offside following VAR intervention.

A significant second-half was in store with the two sides level, and it was Arteta's visitors who drew first blood on the hour. Gabriel Martinelli squeezed home his effort beyond Robert Sanchez at the near post after he was cleverly found by Odegaard in behind. The Gunners had worked so hard to earn the advantage, but they were quickly pegged back by the home side.

A defensive breakdown allowed Pedro Neto all the time in the world to strike from the edge of the area, and the winger's effort was emphatic to draw Chelsea level.

In truth, both teams huffed and puffed in the closing stages, but Arsenal were able to fashion a couple of high-quality chances - both of which fell at the feet of substitute Leandro Trossard. However, offsides in the build-up likely would've denied the Belgian had he not left his clutch gene in the dressing room.

The Gunners were thus held to a point as a result, and some might view the performance/result as a step in the right direction, but the title hopefuls are now nine points adrift of league leaders Liverpool.

Here are the Arsenal player ratings from Sunday's 1-1 draw.

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal player ratings

Goalkeeper & Defenders

David Raya (GK) - 8/10 - No clean sheet for Raya, but this was his best performance for a few weeks. The Spaniard was excellent when claiming the high ball and effective when operating as a sweeper.

Ben White (RB) - 6/10 - Was pretty fortunate Neto didn't get at him more because the Portuguese winger had the beating of him. Only saw glimpses of White's attacking thrust.

William Saliba (CB) - 8/10 - Didn't fool for any of Palmer's party tricks amid an assured performance at the heart of Arsenal's defence. Was rarely beaten in behind, and offered his usual slickness in possession.

Gabriel (CB) - 6.5/10 - This wasn't Gabriel's cleanest performance, but he did a pretty good job when matched up with Jackson. Should he have closed down Neto quicker?

Jurrien Timber (LB) - 7/10 - Noni Madueke didn't have much joy against Timber, but the Dutchman had a few more issues when Neto drifted over to his flank. Loved it when he drives with the ball.

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Midfielders

Thomas Partey (CM) - 5.5/10 - Looked like he was going man-to-man on Palmer early on, which would've been a mistake. Arsenal had more joy defending the Chelsea star by pinching their wingers infield in order to support Partey. Thought he was overly cautious in possession, and loose when he did opt for the more progressive passing option.

Declan Rice (CM) - 5/10 - Wasn't quite at it here, and his substitution after Chelsea equalised suggested he wasn't 100%. Couldn't really influence proceedings in any phase of the game.

Martin Odegaard (AM) - 7/10 - Shook off some first-half rust and had a huge impact after the restart. Arsenal have not only missed his ingenuity in and around the box, as demonstrated by his assist for Martinelli, but his tireless efforts when leading Arsenal's press.

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Forwards

Bukayo Saka (RW) - 6/10 - It was a proper tussle down Arsenal's right with Marc Cucurella intent on not giving Saka an inch. The winger's remarkable strength and ability to withstand contact was put to the test here, and Cucurella did have plenty of joy one-on-one - more than most, anyway. Limped off with ten to go.

Kai Havertz (ST) - 5.5/10 - God, I wish that goal had stood. Havertz shushing the Bridge. Woof. It wasn't to be, though, and the German wasn't particularly effective operating as Arsenal's focal point today.

Gabriel Martinelli (LW) - 6.5/10 - Departed having given Arsenal the lead on the hour having missed a golden opportunity in the first half. A bright outlet and delivered a couple of lovely crosses, but he struggled again one-on-one.

Substitutes

• Mikel Merino - 5/10
• Leandro Trossard - 4/10
• Gabriel Jesus - 6/10

Player of the match: Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)

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