Arsenal: Hector Bellerin To The Rescue As Gunners Earn Late Point In Cracking Capital Clash With Chelsea (Photos & Video)

Alan Duffy

4th, January 2018

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A cracking last-gasp strike from Hector Bellerin secured a share of the points after Arsenal and Chelsea played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Emirates.

In a game of many chances, Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois were outstanding throughout, with the two ‘keepers making a number of crucial saves.

Alvaro Morata was guilty of missing a number of great one-on-one chances for the visitors, the first coming just 14 minutes in when a simple long ball bamboozled Calum Chambers and Shkodran Mustafi.

Alexis Sanchez then saw his effort somehow stay out despite rattling against both posts.

Eventually, it was Arsenal who opened the scoring just after the hour-mark, with Jack Wilshere netting his first top-flight goal in 43 games.

After a loose ball ricocheted his way through a crowded area, the midfielder lashed a smart drive into the roof of the net via the upright.

However, the lead would last just four minutes, with ref Anthony Taylor pointing to the spot after Bellerin was adjudged to have caught Eden Hazard in the box.

Arsene Wenger, already in hot water over his critique of Mike Dean, would later describe to award the penalty as “farcical”. He wasn’t wrong.

Hazard dusted himself down before firing the resulting spot-kick past Cech, who once again failed to save a penalty for the Gunners (15 faced, 15 conceded).

The Blues pushed for a winner and they eventually look the lead on 84 minutes, with Marcos Alonso clipping a low shot past Cech after great work from sub Davide Zappacosta.

Full-backs working in tandem. Nice.

The visitors looked to have won the game, only for Bellerin to then go and score a dramatic equaliser in injury time thanks to a superbly-timed half-volley.

Of course, this being Arsenal, Chelsea still managed to fashion another chance to steal the victory, only for Zappacosta’s powerful effort to come back off the crossbar after Morata has missed another great opportunity.

The game would end all-square, a result which sees Antonio Conte’s side stay third and Arsenal stay sixth.

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While Wenger once again bemoaned the officiating, the Gunners’ boss should maybe focus on his side’s defending, with the north Londoners’ backline looking worryingly disorganised at the back once again.

Posted in Arsenal, Chelsea, Videos

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