EPL: Arsenal’s winless run continues with Chelsea draw

Arsenal were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon in the English Premier League, taking their winless run in the competition to four games.

Goalless at the break despite being an action-packed encounter, the visitors took the lead at the hour mark when Gabriel Martinelli squeezed the ball past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez at the near post.

The persistent Blues were not to be denied, however, as they equalised 10 minutes later through a stunning strike by Portuguese forward Pedro Neto.

With the draw, Chelsea sit third on the EPL table with 19 points, while Arsenal are fourth due to their inferior goal difference.

Both teams are four points behind second-placed Manchester City — who lost their second consecutive league game on Saturday — and nine behind leaders Liverpool.

Speaking to the press after the game, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was disappointed after his side dropped points once again from a winning position.

“[I’m] disappointed with the result because I think we deserved more,” he said.

“At the same time very proud of the team, the way we played here against this opponent, in this stadium, they have battered every opponent here and obviously it wasn’t the case today.

“But after doing the most difficult thing, scoring the first goal, very disappointed with how we conceded the goal, nowhere near the standards.

“Our defensive habits, how we allowed that and the moment you allow that space and time to any of their players with the quality they have you’re going to get punished, so that’s not bad luck.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was pleased by the draw.

“I enjoyed it, absolutely,” he said.

“The performance was good. We know them quite well and we competed pretty well.

“The performance is very important for us in this moment and it was good. We can rest now and go again.

“The performance from Pedro was very good, all of them, complete.

“We played in the way we wanted to, brave, and try and play from the back always.”

Chelsea will be on the road against Leicester City when the Premier League returns on November 23, with online bookmakers paying -144.93 for the Blues to beat the Foxes (+369).

Arsenal will host Nottingham Forest in their first game after the international break, with leading soccer betting sites paying -277.78 for the Gunners to defeat the Reds (+775).

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