Arsenal stage late fightback at Chelsea to become Premier League’s new mentality monsters
Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal (Palmer pen 15′, Mudryk 48′ | Rice 77′, Trossard 84′)
STAMFORD BRIDGE — Arsenal mounted a spirited comeback to maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season with goals from Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard overturning Chelsea‘s 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Mykhailo Mudryk added a second in fortuitous fashion to put the home side in the ascendancy before the Gunners fought back to salvage a point.
The first flashpoint involved two former Manchester City teammates when Palmer raked his studs down the back of Gabriel Jesus’ Achilles after seven minutes. Arsenal appeals for a red card were unsuccessful, so inevitably it was Palmer who went on to open the scoring.
Raheem Sterling’s cross into the box was glanced onto William Saliba’s outstretched arm by Mudryk’s forehead and immediately hands belonging to those in blue shirts shot up in protest.
Play proceeded for an age until a break in play – caused by a crunching foul by Marc Cucurella on Bukayo Saka – allowed Chris Kavanagh an opportunity to watch it back on the pitchside monitor. The award swiftly followed with Palmer sliding in his second spot-kick in as many games.
Chelsea’s decision to splurge £45m on Palmer on deadline day was met with widespread bewilderment; increasingly it is City’s decision to sell the young forward that should be provoking an inquest. The 21-year-old came a matter of inches away from doubling his and Chelsea’s tallies with a drive that whistled past the far post.
Before half-time both Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernandez had sighters from the edge of the box and the only surprise at the break was that the stats weren’t more heavily weighted in the hosts’ favour. Arsenal had 62 per cent of the ball, but Chelsea were dominant.
The expectation was that Arsenal would inevitably improve after the restart, but instead, they found themselves trailing by two almost instantly when Mudryk’s cross-shot – although you suspect it was more the former than the latter – sailed over David Raya’s head and nestled in the bottom corner. The Ukrainian is due a good slice of good fortune after a tricky start to his career in England.
Only after going 2-0 down did Arsenal manage to sustain any pressure. Gabriel Martinelli had a shot deflected wide and from the flurry of corners that followed Gabriel Magalhaes and Takehiro Tomiyasu both missed presentable opportunities.
Just as the Gunners were building momentum they almost handed Chelsea the three points when Raya passed the ball straight to Palmer before scrambling to keep his goalbound shot out of his net.
Raya’s error went unpunished; no such luck for Robert Sanchez. The Chelsea keeper’s slack pass into midfield fell at the feet of Rice who swept a wonderful first-time finish into the unguarded net to give Arsenal a lifeline.
It proved to be a decisive moment. From a position of control, Chelsea became vulnerable and seven minutes after their first Arsenal scored their second with Trossard smuggling a Saka cross in at the back post.
An improbable turnaround was almost completed moments later when Eddie Nketiah, another substitute, almost looped in a half-volley on the stretch and in the end Chelsea were grateful to not lose a game that for so long looked theirs to win.
