The Independent
·10. November 2024
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Yahoo sportsThe Independent
·10. November 2024
Pedro Neto fires Chelsea level with his left foot (Action Images via Reuters)
Chelsea and Arsenal shared the spoils in a tense and at times bruising 1-1 battle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, keeping the London sides level in the Premier League, but still nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
Gabriel Martinelli put the visitors in front in the 60th minute, turning in a neatly lifted ball from captain Martin Odegaard, whose influence on his return from injury proved crucial after the Gunners’ failure to score in their last two games.
Chelsea equalised 10 minutes later when substitute Enzo Fernandez pushed the ball to the ever-lively Pedro Neto just outside the Arsenal area and the Portuguese stepped to one side and shot low to David Raya’s left.
Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal: Pedro Neto’s wonderful finish cancelled out Gabriel Martinelli’s opener as the spoils were shared.
Report by Miguel Delaney:
Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal: Pedro Neto’s wonderful finish cancelled out Gabriel Martinelli’s opener as the spoils were shared
Lawrence Ostlere10 November 2024 20:25
“The performance was good. We know them quite well and we competed pretty well. The performance is very important for us in this moment and it was good. We can rest now and go again.
“The performance from Pedro [Neto] was very good, all of them, complete. We played in the way we wanted to, brave, and try and play from the back always.”
Lawrence Ostlere10 November 2024 19:23
“The disappointment of not getting three points is bigger [than being satisfied with the point]. I think we dominated them, we were the better team in many phases and situations in the game and after going ahead, very disappointed in the way we conceded. It was so poor. It is not our standards and we don’t accept.
“It is a second phase set-piece and we were disorganised. We don’t reorganise quick enough and you can’t allow the pass that way. You need the quality of Neto to do it but our standards were not good enough.”
Lawrence Ostlere10 November 2024 19:16
“It was a tough game. They’ve played together with the same ideas for a long time but we played well. We need to keep going in this way, we are doing well. We need to stay in this way and push more.
“Bukayo Saka is a top player. We’ve played a lot of times against each other, there is huge respect there. It is a good battle and hopefully we can have more. I try to not give him space and always be close to him. We knew he is a special talent and do my work and help my team. I tried to show the best of me.”
Lawrence Ostlere10 November 2024 18:53
“We wanted to win, but we knew we had hard work in front of us because they are a good team. We came to win, so we’re not as happy as we wanted to be, but we didn’t want to lose and it’s a good point against a good team.
“We read the game well. We had moments we could have been better but we’ve done a good job and we want to keep improving at this level.
“I am really happy to help the team. This is a group that works really hard each day. I work every day to improve, I’m trying to improve and go to my best level.”
Pedro Neto fires Chelsea level with his left foot (Action Images via Reuters)
Lawrence Ostlere10 November 2024 18:45
What a miss!!! Saliba crosses from the left side of the box and all Kai Havertz has to do is tap it into the empty goal, but Leandro Trossard stretches out a toe and diverts the ball wide before it can reach Havertz in the centre. Oh dear. Mikel Arteta punches the floor in frustration as the full-time whistle blows.
Lawrence Ostlere10 November 2024 18:28
90 min: Neto whips in a threatening ball but it curls just beyond Cole Palmer arriving near the penalty spot.
Christopher Nkunku replaces Nicolas Jackson.