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At Stamford Bridge, Arsenal stunned Chelsea with a spectacular late comeback as they overcame a two-goal deficit to snag a 2-2 draw.
When Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross-shot looped over David Raya minutes after the half, adding to the advantage they had gained from Cole Palmer’s first-half penalty, Mikel Arteta’s team appeared to be headed for their first loss of the year.
The visitors weren’t at their most fluid, and Mauricio Pochettino’s team, motivated by the steadily more important Palmer on the right of a front three, was in contention for what would have been a third straight league victory for the majority of the match.
Leandro Trossard stunned the home crowd into silence with a close-range finish in the dying seconds to earn Arsenal a draw and move them level on points at the top of the Premier League. However, the pendulum swung when Robert Sanchez’s careless pass presented the ball to Declan Rice who cut the deficit.
Raheem Sterling lined up centrally for Chelsea, flanked by Palmer and Mudryk, who are both in excellent form, for the first time under Pochettino.
After fourteen minutes, they took the lead. Mudryk’s header from close range deflected off William Saliba’s outstretched arm as he leapt to meet Sterling’s cross from the right into the six-yard box. Referee Chris Kavanagh was not summoned to the pitchside monitor for some minutes, but once there, he was quickly checked and a penalty was quickly given.
Palmer’s second Chelsea goal was despatched coolly past David Raya.
Palmer has played a key role in Chelsea’s unexpected rise to attacking prowess under Pochettino, whether by collecting the ball from deep or by assuming a more advanced role. He was the difference in the squad’s three straight victories over Brighton, Fulham, and Burnley, during which the team scored seven goals after going three games without scoring.
Conor Gallagher, the new captain, took the initiative and drove through the center of Arsenal’s midfield before slipping the ball to Palmer, who found space between Saliba and Gabriel to get off a low drive that flashed inches wide of Raya’s far post. Reece James was only fit for a late cameo at the time.
In the waning seconds of the half, Sterling made a routine run down the right and passed the ball to Malo Gusto, who exhibited the finishing instincts of a full-back but ballooned over. Chelsea may have pulled further ahead at that point.
Arsenal goalkeeper Raya had a forgettable first-half moment. Within the Chelsea half, Ben White handed the ball to Gallagher, who then carried it up the left flank and fed the overlapping Mudryk.
As the Ukrainian considered the alternatives inside the box, there didn’t seem to be anything going on. While Raya was set up for a cross, he unintentionally created too much space behind him, allowing Mudryk’s ball to float into it and go straight over the goalkeeper, who flailed hopelessly as it landed in.
The quality of Raya’s afternoon was rapidly declining. A few minutes after giving up, he nearly contributed to Chelsea’s third goal when he carelessly sent the ball to Palmer, who narrowly missed slipping past the goalkeeper and burying Arsenal.
When Arteta’s side appeared to be defeated, their luck changed. With 14 minutes remaining, Rice brought them back into the game thanks to another goalkeeping blunder, this time by Sanchez.
The summer acquisition by Chelsea has often been accountable for possession losses due to poor distribution. Here, under minimal pressure, he delivered the ball directly to Rice’s feet, and with quick thinking, Rice blasted it first time from 30 yards out past the hapless goalkeeper.
Then comes Pochettino’s final pain.
When Bukayo Saka had time to switch the ball from his right foot to his left on the edge of the box, he did it with vision and accuracy, spotting Trossard’s move as he snuck up on Chelsea and used his lunging right leg to deflect the ball past Sanchez.
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