Arsenal all but secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 win over Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb at Emirates Stadium.

Only a heavy defeat in Girona next week will prevent the Gunners – who are third – finishing in the top eight places and therefore bypassing the play-off stage of the competition. Arsenal took the lead in the second minute when Gabriel Martinelli’s cross was cushioned into Declan Rice’s path by Kai Havertz and the England midfielder hammered the ball past Zagreb keeper Ivan Nevistic. Havertz added a second on 66 minutes – the 500th goal under manager Mikel Arteta – when he headed in a curling Martinelli cross before captain Martin Odegaard bundled in a third late on. Zagreb barely ventured into the Arsenal half and captain Arijan Ademi shot well over from distance with one of their few efforts.

The Gunners could have scored more – Rice had a shot blocked after a clever Odegaard pass while centre-back Gabriel headed wide from the edge of the six-yard-box from a corner. Arteta had said he wanted his side to “capitalise” on the work they had done so far in the group stage to put themselves in a strong position going into the final match. The Gunners did that from the off – and settled any nerves there may have been when Rice opened the scoring with the earliest Arsenal goal since Yaya Sanogo’s 72-second effort against Borussia Dortmund in 2014. Once again they looked solid at the back – and only Inter Milan have conceded fewer than the two goals Arteta’s side have let in.

And the Spaniard was handed a boost at being able to name Riccardo Calafiori on the bench alongside Ethan Nwaneri as both returned from injuries. Myles Lewis-Skelly was not in the squad because of a minor knock, and Arteta will hope he will have the 18-year-old available for selection soon. But more broadly he will be keen to ensure his side can take their strong home form in Europe – they have lost only one of their past home 26 group-stage games – into the knockout phase.

Arsenal had a late goal disallowed as they dropped two points in the Premier League title race after throwing away a two-goal lead at home to Aston Villa.

Kai Havertz thought he had found the winner with a minute left in normal time but the goal was disallowed after replays showed he handled Mikel Merino’s shot. The hosts had claimed a two-goal lead, with Gabriel Martinelli opening the scoring after taking advantage of some slack defending from Villa left-back Ian Maatsen to bundle home Leandro Trossard’s cross. The Belgian turned provider again for Arsenal’s second, as Havertz netted his 13th goal of the season from the former Brighton winger’s cross ten minutes after half-time. But Villa staged a stunning comeback, halving the deficit through Youri Tielemans’ header from Matty Cash’s cross on the hour mark, and equalising eight minutes later with a volley by striker Ollie Watkins.

The result leaves Arsenal six points behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League, having played a game more than Arne Slot’s side. Villa move into seventh, two points shy of fourth-placed Newcastle in the final Champions League slot. William Saliba missed the draw in north London through injury and manager Mikel Arteta said he fears Arsenal could be without the France defender in the coming weeks. It is the sort of day that will have Liverpool fans convinced this is their title to lose. For an hour at Emirates Stadium it looked like Arsenal would produce a spirited response to Liverpool’s last -gasp victory at Brentford earlier in the day. Villa had barely laid a glove on their hosts until Tielemans fired his header past David Raya with 60 minutes played.

The Belgian nearly equalised moments later, only to see his effort from the edge of the box cannon against the post. If that was a warning for the Gunners, they did not heed it. Thomas Partey, playing at right-back as Jurrien Timber covered for the injured Saliba in central defence, left Watkins unmarked at the back post – and the England striker made no mistake by volleying home an equaliser. It was an eight-minute period that turned the game on its head, and left Arsenal stunned. The Gunners looked short on ideas in search of a winner but thought they had found it when Merino’s effort deflected past Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the 89th minute. But replays showed Havertz handled the ball, and it was chalked off following a video assistant referee (VAR) review.

Arsenal moved to within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool with victory over Tottenham in the north London derby at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners, who have played a game more than Liverpool, were desperate to return to winning ways after losing at home to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg and then going out to Manchester United on penalties in the FA Cup third round. Arsenal suffered another setback when, totally against the run of play, Son Heung-min’s shot was deflected off William Saliba past keeper David Raya after 25 minutes. The response came from a familiar route, Gabriel rising to meet Declan Rice’s corner at the far post five minutes before the interval after Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky failed to collect, the last touch coming off Dominic Solanke for an own goal.

Arsenal were ahead four minutes later when Leandro Trossard’s bobbling low shot beat Kinsky, who should have done much better. Mikel Arteta’s side dominated the second half, but once again lacked the cutting edge to completely put the game to bed. And although they closed out the win to keep themselves firmly in the title race, they were almost caught right at the end when Pedro Porro hit the outside of the post from a tight angle. Arsenal’s fans and their manager reacted with what looked like huge relief as well as celebration when the final whistle sounded on the north London derby. And this was a reflection of how Arsenal, even though they got a vital victory that keeps them on the heels of pacesetters Liverpool, made this a lot more difficult than it needed to be.

The sight of Gabriel hurling his shirt into the crowd showed just how important these three points were after two huge cup disappointments at home, but Arsenal still suffered familiar flaws that made the closing stages needlessly tense. Arsenal dominated huge portions of this game – but to win it, they needed another set-piece and a shot by Trossard that should have been saved by Kinsky. No-one could question the commitment and desire from Arsenal, or their superiority over a labouring Spurs, but once again a lack of cutting edge and a habit of over-elaborating when they got into danger areas drew groans of frustration from their supporters.

Joshua Zirkzee scored the winning penalty as a 10-man Manchester United beat Arsenal in a thrilling encounter to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup. United had to play with 10 men for nearly an hour after Diogo Dalot was shown a second yellow card, having mistimed a tackle on Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino. Manchester United took the lead through an excellent Bruno Fernandes goal in the 52nd minute, after Alejandro Garnacho took advantage of a Gabriel slip and crossed for Fernandes to curl the ball into the top corner. Dalot was sent off in the 61st minute after his clumsy tackle and Arsenal were level just two minutes later when centre-back Gabriel volleyed in from inside the area.

The Gunners then had a massive chance to take the lead when Kai Havertz was adjudged to have been brought down by Harry Maguire in the box and referee Andrew Madley awarded a penalty. There was a delay in the spot-kick being taken after a melee in the box in which Maguire, Havertz and Gabriel were all booked. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard then stepped up but Altay Bayindir dived to his left to push away the ball and keep the scores level. Mikel Arteta’s side had big chances through Declan Rice and Havertz again to win the game but could not beat the impressive Bayindir. United were made to defend throughout extra time as Arsenal looked for ways to take the lead with their numerical advantage.

But Arteta’s side could not find a way through and Havertz had his penalty saved by Bayindir before Zirkzee sent David Raya the wrong way to win the shootout. The result means Arsenal have exited the FA Cup in the third round for the third time in four seasons. This was Arsenal’s second of a run of five fixtures in a row at home this month. Mikel Arteta will have hoped he could build momentum during these games, but two home defeats in a row has done little to lift morale. It was almost the perfect start when Gabriel Martinelli slotted the ball past Bayindir in the first half, but the strike was ruled out for offside and seemingly set the tone for the match.

Alexander Isak’s rich goalscoring form continued as Newcastle United took control of their Carabao Cup semi-final with a superb first-leg win against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium. Newcastle have never won the competition but will make their second final in three seasons if they avoid defeat, or lose by a one-goal margin, in the second leg at St James’ Park on 5 February. Arsenal, second in the Premier League, started the tie as favourites, but have it all to do in the return fixture. Isak scored his 14th goal in 15 games to set Newcastle on the way to their seventh successive win.

Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka’s free-kick was launched forward, Sven Botman headed the ball on and Jacob Murphy played it into Isak’s path with the Swede lifting a composed finish past David Raya. Anthony Gordon doubled the visitors’ lead in the 51st minute, converting the rebound after Raya could only parry Isak’s shot. Gabriel Martinelli had hit the post for the Gunners when the game was goalless, with Jurrien Timber and William Saliba also failing to score with close-range headers. Newcastle have been English champions four times and won six FA Cups, but have not lifted silverware since the Fairs Cup in 1969. However, their fans will be dreaming this is the year that long wait for a trophy ends.

Isak, a striker long linked with a move to Arsenal, showed the Gunners what they were missing with an excellent performance which got him a goal and an assist as he provided constant problems for Gabriel and Saliba. Having just seen his side lose at home for the first time this season, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta remained in defiant mood. Asked about his team’s chances of overturning a 2-0 home loss to Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, the Spaniard said he had “full belief” Arsenal could turn the tie around and still get to Wembley.

Joao Pedro scored a second-half penalty to dent Arsenal’s title hopes as the Gunners were held to a draw by Brighton. Arsenal went ahead in the 16th minute through Ethan Nwaneri, who was starting just his second match in the Premier League. The 17-year-old was involved in a clever move with Mikel Merino and Declan Rice before firing a shot that squirmed past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and found the far corner. Arsenal dominated as they looked to build a bigger lead, and they were to pay for not taking their chances when Pedro struck from the spot just after the hour.

The penalty was awarded for an unusual incident when Pedro flicked the ball up and William Saliba, in attempting to nod it away, made contact with the head of the Brazilian forward who went to ground. The foul was checked and confirmed by the video assistant referee, who deemed there was sufficient contact for a penalty and Pedro then sent David Raya the wrong way to level the scores. It could have got worse for Arsenal after that, with Brighton substitute Yankuba Minteh curling wide from inside the area when well placed.

The result leaves Arsenal five points behind leaders Liverpool with Mikel Arteta’s side having played two games more. Arsenal manager Arteta had to rotate his squad, with Kai Havertz missing through illness and captain Martin Odegaard also suffering and only well enough for substitute duty. The Gunners are already trying to deal with the loss of Bukayo Saka who is out of action with a serious hamstring injury, yet they had by far the better of the opening stages of this game.

Arsenal came from behind to beat Brentford in the first Premier League fixture of 2025 and boost their title hopes.

Bryan Mbeumo put the hosts ahead, but Gabriel Jesus equalised with his sixth goal in four games. Quickfire strikes from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli then ensured Arsenal left west London with all three points. It was vindication for manager Mikel Arteta, who named a changed side with Kai Havertz left out due to illness while 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri made his first Premier League start. Arsenal are back up to second, six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, while Brentford stay 12th. Brentford took the lead in the 12th minute after Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard sloppily gave the ball away in midfield. Mikkel Damsgaard intercepted his pass and slid a through ball for Mbeumo.

The Bees forward cut inside and beat former Brentford goalkeeper David Raya at his near post. But Arsenal, who were below par for the opening 30 minutes, equalised when Gabriel Jesus headed in the rebound after Thomas Partey’s shot was parried away by Mark Flekken. The Gunners laboured at times during the first half, struggling with the absence of the injured Bukayo Saka. But they were renewed after the break, scoring twice in three minutes. The first came when Brentford failed to clear a corner, Flekken missing his punch, and the resulting goalmouth scramble ended in Merino slamming home from close range.

And they moved 3-1 ahead on 53 minutes when Martinelli cracked a loose ball past Flekken from 12 yards, before easing to victory as Brentford faded. While they did eventually hit their stride, Arsenal looked nervous at times – none more so than goalkeeper Raya. Playing at the Community Stadium for the first time since leaving for Arsenal in 2023, Raya should have done better for the opening goal as he left too much space at his near post and was slow to dive.

Gabriel Jesus scored twice as Arsenal put five past Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park to move to within three points of the top of the Premier League.

It took the Brazil striker’s tally against the Eagles to five in a week, following his Carabao Cup quarter-final hat-trick on Wednesday. But there was a setback for the Gunners as Bukayo Saka limped off in the first half. Jesus scored two in the first half before Kai Havertz made it three, with Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice adding further goals after the break. Arsenal struck first in the sixth minute, Saka’s cross was deflected into the path of Jesus and he fired past Dean Henderson at the near post. The Eagles were level just five minutes later when Ismaila Sarr curled an excellent effort in the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Arsenal then went ahead again just three minutes later. A dangerous corner was not cleared and Thomas Partey teed up Jesus, who curled a shot into the top corner. Jesus then almost registered his second hat-trick in a week when his header hit the post, but the ball bounced out and Havertz was on hand to tap in from close range for the Arsenal third. Both sides had chances to score more in the first half, Jean-Philippe Mateta had a close range effort saved by Raya before Gabriel headed a Martin Odegaard corner against the bar. Palace started the second half brightly but Arsenal kept them out before Martinelli diverted in substitute Rice’s shot.

Rice himself then got on the scoresheet as he curled in an excellent strike for the Arsenal fifth. Arsenal are now three points behind leaders Liverpool, although they have played two games more. The biggest worry for Arteta will be the severity of Saka’s injury. The 23-year-old, who has 52 goals and 44 assists since 2019, is key to this Arsenal side and they will need him if they are going to mount a serious title challenge for the third season in a row. Before he limped off, he made his 250th appearance for Arsenal, making him the the youngest Englishman to do that for the club.

Arsenal failed to capitalise on Premier League leaders Liverpool dropping points as they were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Everton at Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s side remain third, six points behind Liverpool having played a game more than the Reds, who drew 2-2 draw at home to Fulham. The Gunners had 76% possession and a total of 13 shots, but could not find the breakthrough against an Everton side that defended resolutely and had only two shots in the entire game. The first of those came in the sixth minute and was arguably the best chance of the contest when Abdoulaye Doucoure was played through, but the Toffees midfielder dallied too long and his strike from an angle was blocked by Gabriel.

The hosts hogged the ball thereafter but found it difficult to create many clear-cut openings, with skipper Martin Odegaard dragging a shot wide and seeing another deflected effort clawed away by Jordan Pickford. The England number one made a stunning reflex save to deny Bukayo Saka at the start of the second half and though Arsenal huffed and puffed, a winning goal eluded them. This was a game which Arsenal needed to win to haul themselves back into the title race, but their inability to find an end product cost them dear.

Having come close as runners-up to Manchester City for the past two seasons, their ambitions for a first title since 2003-04 were dealt a huge blow here. The Gunners have now failed to win half of their 16 league games this season, and have had back-to-back draws in the league, following the result at Fulham last weekend. As expected, Arsenal dominated possession but without a recognised number nine to call upon, they lack a killer instinct in the final third.

Bukayo Saka scored twice as Arsenal beat Monaco to strengthen their position as one of the sides likely to progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The Gunners were well on top in the first half, but missed a number of chances to make the outcome even more comfortable. Arsenal took the lead in the 34th minute after Myles Lewis–Skelly played in Gabriel Jesus and the Brazilian crossed for Saka to tap in. Substitute Kai Havertz then forced a mistake from keeper Radoslaw Majecki in the 74th minute and Saka steered in from close range. The England forward then set up the third with two minutes left as Havertz turned in his cross. Arsenal should have added more to their tally, though, before their late flurry. Gabriel Jesus was denied twice by Majecki when through on goal.

Captain Martin Odegaard was next to go close when he intercepted a loose pass from Monaco midfielder Soungoutou Magassa but shot wide from inside the area, while Gabriel Martinelli curled wide of the post when well placed too. The Gunners were almost punished immediately after the restart for their wayward finishing when Thilo Kehrer headed wide from inside the box from a Monaco free-kick. Former Liverpool midfielder Takumi Minamino and striker Breel Embolo also went close for the visitors. However, the missed chances did not matter in the end as the late goals from Saka and Havertz gave Mikel Arteta’s side the success.

Arsenal moved up to third in the table on 13 points and are in a strong position going into their final two group stage games. They host Dinamo Zagreb next on 22 January before visiting Girona a week later. The Gunners looked to have been hit by another injury crisis when Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori missed the open part of the training session before the match. However, Partey was able to start and defender Timber named on the bench in a changed line-up for Arteta.

Arsenal had a late goal disallowed as they missed the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points with a draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Bukayo Saka thought he had given the Gunners all three points when he headed in Gabriel Martinelli’s cross two minutes from time, but the goal was disallowed after the Brazilian was found to be offside during the build-up. Raul Jimenez, with his sixth goal of the season, put Fulham in front against the run of play when he latched on to Kenny Tete’s ball down the line to fire past David Raya from a tight angle. Arsenal, looking to capitalise on the postponement of Liverpool’s Merseyside derby against Everton on Saturday, struggled to carve out opportunities from open play in the first half and managed just one shot on target from Saka.

But Mikel Arteta’s side were level within six minutes of the second half after a well-worked corner kick routine saw William Saliba convert Kai Havertz’s knockdown. It was one-way traffic after that as Arsenal pushed to find a winner but they struggled to break down a resolute Fulham side. The draw means Arsenal are six points behind leaders Liverpool, having played a game more. After the 4-1 defeat at home to Wolves a fortnight ago, Fulham fans could have been forgiven for dreading a games against Tottenham, Brighton and Arsenal within seven days. In hindsight, they need not have worried. A spirited draw against Spurs last weekend was bettered by a 3-1 win against Brighton in midweek.

The visit of Arsenal, though, was the toughest of the lot. The Gunners were well below their best in the first half, lacking the sharpness that that they have shown in wins against West Ham, Manchester United and Sporting in recent weeks. Saka had the Gunners’ only shot on target in the opening 45 minutes as the Gunners struggled to create opportunities from open play. Declan Rice whipped a brilliant in-swinging corner in from the left to the back post, where Havertz nodded down for Saliba to tap home. The goal – which survived a video assistant referee (VAR) review – was Arsenal’s 23rd scored from a corner since the start of the 2023-24 season, more than any club in Europe during that time. Arteta’s side managed just four shots on target during the game and their best opportunities once again came from dead ball situations.

Arsenal scored twice from corners to comfortably beat Manchester United as Ruben Amorim suffered his first defeat in English football.

Defenders Jurrien Timber and William Saliba did the damage as Arsenal took advantage of Liverpool dropping points to trim their lead at the top of the Premier League table. Arsenal sit third with 28 points, level on that mark with Chelsea and seven behind Arne Slot’s Reds. The home side took the lead in the 54th minute when Declan Rice’s corner was headed in at the near post by full-back Timber. The Gunners then almost doubled their lead when United’s Manuel Ugarte had to clear off the line after team-mate Joshua Zirkzee flicked on another Rice corner. Saliba made sure of the win when Thomas Partey headed Bukayo Saka’s corner against the French defender’s back and the ball went past Andre Onana in the United goal.

Arsenal have become a force to be reckoned with from set-pieces under manager Mikel Arteta. Timber and Saliba’s goals means they have scored 22 goals from corners since the start of last season, more than any other Premier League side. Amorim’s United did threaten the Arsenal goal when Diogo Dalot flashed a shot past David Raya’s post in the first half, and the Arsenal keeper made an excellent save to deny Matthijs de Ligt in the second half. Substitute Mikel Merino headed wide from another excellent Arsenal set-piece and Kai Havertz had an effort saved by Onana as the Gunners dominated the closing period of the match. It meant that Amorim, who warned that a “storm will come” for United before this game, saw his three-game unbeaten start come to an end in north London.

Since losing back-to-back games to Inter Milan and Newcastle at the start of November, Arsenal have hit on a hot streak. The return of Martin Odegaard has coincided with a five-match unbeaten run and Arteta’s side are back to looking like title contenders. This victory, in Arsenal’s 500th match at Emirates Stadium, means they have won three successive league games for the first time this season.

Arsenal moved second in the Premier League after a frenetic victory over West Ham at London Stadium in which seven goals were scored in the first half.

The Gunners led after 10 minutes when centre-back Gabriel flicked home Bukayo Saka’s corner at the near post after escaping loose West Ham marking. It is the Brazilian’s third Premier League goal of the season, taking him joint second for Arsenal in the top flight. And the lead was doubled after 27 minutes when Leandro Trossard finished a flowing Arsenal move from close range. Saka was again the provider, played in by a chipped Martin Odegaard through ball before squaring to Trossard to finish. Then followed a frantic period of four goals in six minutes, started by Odegaard making it three shortly following the hour mark from the penalty spot after Saka was tripped in the area by Lucas Paqueta.

And Arsenal went 4-0 up after 36 minutes when a long ball was missed by home defender Max Kilman, allowing Kai Havertz to finish one-on-one past beleagured goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. West Ham responded when right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka scored his second goal in consecutive games with a near-post finish, before left-back Emerson reduced the arrears to 4-2 with a magnificent free-kick that crashed in off the crossbar. But Arsenal restored their three-goal lead with a second penalty, this time netted by Saka for his first away league goal of the season after Fabianski accidentally punched Gabriel while trying to clear a corner.

This was only the fourth time in Premier League history that seven goals have been scored in the first half of a game – but there were none after the break as Arsenal comfortably saw out the win. Victory moves Mikel Arteta’s side six points behind leaders Liverpool, who face third-place Manchester City on Sunday. West Ham remain 14th in the table, six points above the relegation zone.

Arsenal got back to winning ways in the Champions League with a commanding victory over Sporting at Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Gabriel Martinelli tapped home from Jurrien Timber’s low cross as Mikel Arteta’s side went in front early on. They doubled the lead in similar fashion, Bukayo Saka getting in behind the Sporting defence and firing the ball across the box for Kai Havertz to prod in from close range. Gabriel scored his first Champions League goal on the stroke of half-time, powering in a header from a Declan Rice corner. Shortly after the break Goncalo Inacio got a goal back for Sporting with a smart left-footed strike but it was a mere consolation for the hosts. Ousmane Diomande was lucky to avoid a second yellow card when he went straight through the back of Martin Odegaard and conceded a penalty.

Saka scored the resulting spot-kick, whipping it into the bottom corner. Mikel Merino’s fierce strike from the edge of the area was parried by home goalkeeper Franco Israel into the path of Leandro Trossard, who headed into an empty net for Arsenal’s fifth goal. The result means Arsenal move up to seventh in the Champions League table while Sporting are a place behind them, with both sides on 10 points. Arteta spoke ahead of the match about wanting his players to make a Champions League statement by recording a big win against Sporting, and they duly obliged. Martinelli’s goal, recorded at six minutes 43 seconds, was Arsenal’s fastest in the competition since Theo Walcott netted against Basel in September 2016 (06:42).

Saka was in fine form on the right wing, providing the assist for Arsenal’s second goal before converting from the spot as he registered his 11th goal involvement in the Champions League (six goals, five assists). It is the second time that Arsenal have scored three goals in the first half of a Champions League away game, previously beating Galatasaray 4-1 in December 2014. Arteta was able to withdraw key players Rice, Martinelli and Odegaard as his side cruised to a brilliant victory on the road. The Gunners were winless in their last five away games in the competition (drawn two, lost three) but they blew Sporting away with their fast start and completely dominated from the first whistle.

Arsenal got their title challenge back on track by beating Nottingham Forest to secure a first win in five Premier League matches.

The Gunners’ form has dipped in recent weeks amid a tough fixture schedule and a number of injuries, which meant Mikel Arteta’s side were nine points behind leaders Liverpool before kick-off on Saturday. Arsenal dominated from the outset at Emirates Stadium and Bukayo Saka gave them the lead after 15 minutes, exchanging passes with Martin Odegaard before beating two defenders and slamming a strike into the top corner. Thomas Partey, who came on as a half-time substitute, doubled the hosts’ lead when he curled in from 20 yards, before youngster Ethan Nwaneri added a third late on to secure the win.

Forest have been the surprise package of the season so far and came into this match with the same number of points (19) as the Gunners. However, they struggled to get a foothold in the game and failed to muster a shot on target – with tame headers from Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez their best opportunities. Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber thought he had put the hosts in front when he tapped in from close range before Saka’s opener, but Mikel Merino was offside in the build-up. This match was Arteta’s 250th in charge of Arsenal in all competitions – and he will hope victory sparks a run of form that will help his side close the gap on their rivals at the top.

Arteta shocked many with his team selection as he made five changes to the team that drew with Chelsea in the Gunners’ last league game. However, his side’s display proved he got those calls right – and managed to leave key players Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli on the bench before the Champions League match with Sporting next week. Odegaard was named in the starting XI for the second time in a row after his lengthy injury lay-off and the captain showed supporters exactly what they missed in his absence.

Pedro Neto drilled in a fine equaliser as Chelsea and Arsenal both missed the chance to make up ground on Premier League leaders Liverpool following an entertaining draw at Stamford Bridge. The result leaves the two teams on 19 points, nine adrift of top spot, and Arsenal without a win in their past five games in all competitions. The visitors opened the scoring when Gabriel Martinelli slammed the ball past Blues keeper Robert Sanchez at his near post after collecting a back-post cross from the returning Martin Odegaard.

Chelsea’s leveller was deserved. Neto ran on to an Enzo Fernandez pass before cutting inside and striking a powerful low left-footed shot past David Raya’s dive. England winger Bukayo Saka limped off late on with an injury as both sides strived to create a winning chance. Arsenal came closest but Leandro Trossard was unable to divert William Saliba’s cross into the net from six yards, a second before referee Michael Oliver blew for full-time. Chelsea have lost once in their past 10 matches and played like a team filled with confidence.

Cole Palmer set the tone when his long-range strike was tipped over by Raya before Malo Gusto headed a good chance over the bar from close range. Martinelli also had a good chance in the first half before Kai Havertz had a strike ruled out for offside. This was always going to be an important game for Arsenal but more so after Liverpool’s win over Aston Villa on Saturday which meant the Gunners started the day 10 points off the top of the table. Manager Mikel Arteta was able to start captain Odegaard for the first time in two months after his return from an ankle injury and as he grew into the game he had a big influence on the Arsenal midfield.