You won’t believe these 9 incredible stats from Chelsea’s rollercoaster 2-2 draw with Arsenal
Chelsea and Arsenal produced a Saturday night thriller at Stamford Bridge as the Gunners came from two goals down to steal a point against their disappointed opponents.
The Blues produced their finest performance under Mauricio Pochettino to date, deservedly taking a 2-0 lead through Cole Palmer’s penalty and Mykhailo Mudryk’s did-he-mean-it effort shortly after half-time.
Arsenal appeared rattled and looked destined for their first league defeat of the season before Robert Sanchez passed the ball straight to Declan Rice and watched the ball sail over his head.
Mikel Arteta’s side smelt an opportunity and levelled the game through Leandro Trossard’s clever finish in the final 10 minutes, leaving them third in the table and behind Manchester City in the Premier League title odds.
“First half from us the worst we’ve played this season in terms of sloppiness,” Rice said after the game. “But massive credit to Chelsea, the manager said they had been unlucky this season and they made it difficult for us.
“To show heart and character, it is not easy when 2-0 down. It’s about having that fight and mindset, pushing the team on and making sure everyone has belief. It was a good comeback.
“Chelsea made it compact, but us on the ball was not good enough – my first pass I gave it away. It gave Chelsea encouragement but in the second half we showed what we’re about – that hunger and never-say-die attitude. We showed great heart and character.”
We’ve collected nine incredible stats from a terrific evening’s entertainment in west London.
– Aged 21 years and 168 days, Palmer is the third-youngest player to score a penalty in back-to-back Premier League appearances, behind only Bukayo Saka (20y 230d) and Peter Ndlovu (21y 50d).
PALMER SLOTS HOME THE PENALTY! 🔵
Arsenal concede for the first time away from home this season! pic.twitter.com/eQbo5odfEd
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 21, 2023
– And the England U21 international has now scored against both Aaron Ramsdale and David Raya this season.
– Rice swept Arsenal back into the game after Robert Sanchez’s mistake. He’s now scored twice against Big Six opponents this season after his effort against Manchester United in September.
– Leandro Trossard is the first Arsenal player to score each of his first three Premier League goals for the club as a substitute.
TROSSARD LEVELS FOR ARSENAL 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ke3QZOHCCW
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 21, 2023
– And Bukayo Saka has now scored or assisted in nine of his last 10 Premier League games. Incredible numbers.
– Chelsea’s record against ‘Big Six’ sides in the Premier League since the start of last season now reads DDLLDLDLLLDD, meaning they are winless against their direct rivals in 12 encounters.
– With four draws and three wins, Pochettino has never lost a home game against Arsenal in the Premier League. But it could have been so much more…
– Especially as the Blues recorded an xG of 1.51, beating their opponents’ total of 1.11.
– Meanwhile, Arsenal’s two late goals keeps them unbeaten in the league this season. Arteta will see the result as evidence of his side’s increased resilience and fight.
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