Arsenal left with one choice to end ‘nightmare’ and keep title dream alive | OneFootball

One of those games where, as entertaining as it ended up, it’s hard not to look to those who weren’t on the pitch. That isn’t even Bukayo Saka, who had to go off injured. It is, of course, Liverpool, with the leaders having extended the gap over both Manchester City and Arsenal this weekend.

Arne Slot's side will certainly feel more satisfied about this 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge than either of the teams involved, despite positives for both. Enzo Maresca sounded happier than Mikel Arteta, as he enthusiastically spoke about how good the performance was. It was still another big game they couldn’t quite win, even as Chelsea now sit in third for the first time in three years. “Very soon we’re going to win this kind of game,” Maresca added. Arteta inevitably described himself as “disappointed” but “proud”.

Arsenal stopped the rot, scored for the first time in three games and actually moved back into the top four due to results elsewhere. They will still feel they left something out there, not least two points.

Marc Cucurella, by contrast, can feel he put everything in. He set the tone for a resolute Chelsea performance that also saw them come from behind. The only real error in an encouraging defensive display was in the chasm left for Gabriel Martinelli’s goal, but part of that was how the returning Martin Odegaard created the opening with a typically creative pass. This is what Arsenal have badly missed.

It would have been symbolic if Odegaard’s full return brought a first league win in over a month. That’s probably what should have happened, to propel momentum again.

Instead, Saka’s late injury seemed to sum up Arsenal’s season. A positive is instantly offset by a negative. Arteta said he’s “praying for no more injuries” as he described “a nightmare” of late, before all but confirming that Saka and Declan Rice won’t be on international duty this week, and then stating that he has to talk with Odegaard about whether he will join up for Norway.

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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard at the full-time whistle (John Walton/PA)

The playmaker completed the full 90 minutes, with Arteta marvelling that he is one of the few who can do that. It would still cause some anxiety at Arsenal if he immediately went off for Nations League games, given they’re what put Odegaard out for so long in the first place. There could be a high number of drop-outs right across the Premier League. Cole Palmer is another doubt.

In general play, it was almost literally one step forward and one back for Arsenal, given the number of times their attack was caught offside. Such moments cost them a Kai Havertz opener and at least two promising attacks.

And yet it would be wrong to say Chelsea were lucky. For one, that is a very intentional part of Enzo Maresca’s approach. Chelsea also fought for everything, as distilled in Pedro Neto’s brilliant equaliser. He had been threatening it for much of the game and finally hit his first league goal for Chelsea once he moved onto the right wing. The finish was superb, drilled low into the corner.

David Raya, who had again been so strong, this time had no chance. Arteta didn’t quite see it like that, as he castigated his team for going against all their “habits” by allowing so much space at the edge of the box.

That’s where he felt the game was drawn, at least, as he again lamented the inability to hold a lead.

It wasn’t too far off what happened at the other end for the opening goal by Martinelli. Aside from the space offered up by Chelsea’s defence, the Brazilian was then able to casually pick his spot as Robert Sanchez left his near post open. The finish was good, but it probably shouldn’t have come down to that.

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Gabriel Martinelli puts Arsenal in front against Chelsea (Reuters)

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Martinelli celebrates in front of the away supporters (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

The game consequently came down to details. Saka had been relatively quiet before he went off, mostly due to Cucurella’s approach. Chelsea’s Spanish full-back was an obvious man of the match. His fellow Euro 2024 winner, Mikel Merino, came off the bench to also be a real positive for Arsenal. He might have scored with yet another chance when the ball flashed across the Chelsea box, but that was the only moment when the midfielder wasn’t supremely assured on the ball. Merino was excellent in possession, tidying everything up while making things happen elsewhere.

There is promise in a potential partnership with Odegaard. The game did emphasise something obvious but worth saying: the Norwegian is simply unique as a player. Arsenal have no one like him, which is why he is so essential.

Chelsea, of course, have that in Palmer but, other than one long-range effort and a few touches, he was quiet. Neto was instead the player who was most active for Chelsea.

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Pedro Neto levels for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (John Walton/PA)

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The winger celebrates in front of the Chelsea fans (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

It still ended up as one of those matches where it is difficult to say anything definitively, which also feels the case with a strange Premier League table at the moment. At least for the 19 spots beneath first place. Liverpool’s relentless winning form has been the only certainty, but that leads to another question that was relevant to everything happening at Stamford Bridge.

Is it sustainable? Can they really keep it going? The only reason it’s hard to say is because this is a new era. There is no precedent under Slot on which to base anything, just the results so far. And there is a difference between getting them before Christmas and after Christmas. There’s also a difference between Feyenoord and Liverpool. It was conspicuous when Maresca was asked about not yet winning big games, and he name-checked only City and Arsenal. The Chelsea manager pointed to how they have had a long time under their coaches. That’s why it might seem different if it was one of those two clubs going on Liverpool’s run. They’ve been there for the last few years. But Arsenal currently feel like they’ve lost something from that period.

Arteta was unusually frank when he described this period as a “nightmare”. That was also, however, a call to wake up.

“When it gets nasty, show your teeth,” Arteta said. “Show how much you want it. When it’s Disneyland, everything is easy.”

The demand is now obvious. “Win, win, win, win”. That’s the run Arsenal now need, given one conclusive fact from this game: they’re nine points behind. They have shown they can make up these gaps before. They won and won and won as recently as last season. They now need to do it in different circumstances, in a campaign with so many uncertainties.