Bitter Draw for Chelsea and Arsenal

Martin Odegaard's return to the Arsenal lineup brought a glimmer of hope as he assisted Gabriel Martinelli to put the 'Gunners' ahead, but a stunning strike from Pedro Neto leveled the score for Chelsea, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

This was not the outcome Mikel Arteta's team needed, especially after two consecutive defeats and starting the day ten points behind league leaders Liverpool. However, the performance did show signs of improvement and a willingness to take the game to the opponent, as demanded by their fans.

The first half was tense, with both teams playing cautiously. Chances were scarce, with only Malo Gusto coming close with a header and Martinelli testing Robert Sánchez at close range.

Kai Havertz also thought he had scored against his former team and celebrated by shushing the crowd. However, his joy was short-lived as VAR spotted an offside in the build-up, nullifying the goal and embarrassing his premature celebration.

The game needed a moment of magic, and Odegaard, back from a two-month absence due to an ankle injury, provided just that. Starting for the first time since his recovery, the Norwegian did not show any rust, delivering a classic cross to Martinelli who exploited poor marking by Chelsea to find the net.

The draw felt fair, although Arsenal could have left with all three points had Mikel Merino, coming off the bench, converted one of his three opportunities, the clearest being a shot brilliantly saved by Sánchez.

With the draw, both teams are now tied at 19 points, sitting third and fourth respectively. They face a daunting nine-point gap to Liverpool and are four points behind Manchester City, making the Premier League title seem more elusive than ever. For Chelsea, title aspirations were minimal, but for Arsenal, the stakes were certainly higher.