Arsenal, Chelsea share spoils
The strain of playing five games in two weeks caught up with Arsenal and Chelsea as they laboured to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal on Wednesday (Thursday NZT).
Playing in their third competition after a packed festive fixture programme, the London rivals were lacking the attacking verve to find a breakthrough in the Stamford Bridge stalemate.
What did create intrigue was the sight of Arsene Wenger in the press box as the Arsenal manager served the second game of a touchline ban for misconduct toward a referee.
So while Chelsea manager Antonio Conte was in the customary position patrolling the touchline, metres from his players and bellowing instructions, Wenger was reduced to occasional shouts about a dozen rows back.
Flanked by a security guard and coach Jens Lehmann for company, Wenger’s every groan was in full earshot of the media, every shake of the head clear to see and the kicks of the benches reverberating.
‘‘What?‘’ Wenger shouted after Chelsea was awarded a free kick in the first half when Eden Hazard went down under Hector Bellerin’s challenge. The French manager leapt out of the media bench at the start of the second half when Danny Welbeck was penalised for fouling Moses.
Wenger did benefit for once from clear video replays. So, too, did the referee, as video replay assistants were deployed for a third time in English football.
The lengthiest delay in the game came close to the end when Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas was brought down by Welbeck. Referee Martin Atkinson consulted the VARs watching across west London for almost a minute before deciding against awarding a spot kick.
Chelsea did look more likely to take the lead but were wasteful twice with headers. At the end of the first half, former Gunner Fabregas nodded tamely straight at Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina. Midway through the second half, Andreas Christiansen headed off target.
There was a blow for Arsenal when Jack Wilshere, captaining the north London club to top a return to form in an injury-blighted career, limped off with a knee problem.
The second leg is at the Emirates Stadium in two weeks. The League Cup is the only domestic competition Wenger hasn’t won in more than 21 years at Arsenal.
It also offers his only prospect of domestic silverware this season, since Arsenal’s FA Cup defence ended at the first hurdle at Nottingham Forest on Sunday (Monday NZT) and the team is sixth in the Premier League.