LONDON: Arsenal have not lost at Stamford Bridge for six years. Any satisfaction in forcing the latest 1-1 draw will have been dampened by a glance at the league table. They now sit a clear nine points behind leaders Liverpool. No title challenge is likely for the Gunners this season, despite all manager Mikel Arteta’s brave words.

Arteta, more than ever, will regret the two-month absence of captain Martin Odegaard. His class was evident on his return to the starting line-up against Chelsea but the Gunners’ momentum had long since fractured. This can never be title-winning form.

Arteta said: “The disappointment will be even bigger after watching it back tomorrow. We were the better team and we went ahead. Very disappinted with the way we conceded the goal. We didn’t reorganise quickly enough. It’s not good enough. We were here to get the three points and we didn’t get them.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said: “I enjoyed it, absolutely. The performance was good. We competed pretty well. We can rest now and go again. We played in the way we wanted to, brave. Defensively we were very good, apart from the goal we conceded but the rest we were good.”

Maresca had demanded a “statement victory” from his team which was strange considering that the Blues’ only two defeats had been against the top two in the Premier League. In fact, greater pressure was on Arsenal and their manager Mikel Arteta after two defeats in a week without a goal.

Arteta had pointed to injuries and, finally, he was able to field his strongest team with captain Martin Odegaard back in midfield after being injured on international duty with Norway. Declan Rice partnered Odegaard with Thomas Partey being the man entrusted with shutting down the threat of Cole Palmer.

Ranged against them was probably the in-form midfield partnership of the Premier League in Romeo Leiva and Moises Caicedo. Chelsea had also been able to rest their seniors in the Conference League in midweek whereas Arsenal had enjoyed no such luxury in defeat against Inter in Milan. Fatigue factor threatened to be a factor in the closing stages, unless Arsenal could establish early control.

Arsenal have proved themselves the most dangerous team in the league from set pieces but this time they could not capitalise on a string of corners. Chelsea defended aggressively and effectively, albeit at the expense of a yellow card for Levi Colwill.

Chelsea had kicked off leading Arsenal on goal difference and might have extended the gap only for both Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto to head over the bar. Maresca sank to his knees after the Gusto effort but his disappointment was replaced by relief when VAR came to Chelsea’s rescue by ruling out a Kai Havertz goal. Havertz had drifted a few centimetres offside.

Havertz was the centre of more fuss against his old club after the interval when he needed treatment for a cut to the head. He had barely been back on the pitch for a minute when Arsenal, against the run of play. Odegaard displayed his value with a chip over the Chelsea defence so Martinelli could cut in from the left and beat Robert Sanchez on his near post.

Chelsea thus extended their unwanted record of conceding at least one goal in every Premier League home match.

On the other hand, Chelsea have also scored in every home game since their opening day defeat by Manchester City. Pedro Neto maintained this record by equalising with a low drive past David Raya’s left hand. Neto, who had switched from left wing to right after the introduction of Mykhailo Mudryk, thus celebrated his first league goal since leaving Wolves for £54m in August.

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