Sun.Star Cebu

Bellerin rescues Arsenal with late goal vs. Chelsea

-

Hector Bellerin came to Arsenal’s rescue in stoppage time to clinch a 2-2 draw against Chelsea after conceding in an absorbing Premier League encounter on Wednesday.

All four goals came in the final half hour of a game that left thirdplace and defending champion Chelsea 16 points behind Manchester City and Arsenal 23 adrift of the leaders.

The deficit would have been even worse for the sixth-place hosts had Bellerin not redeemed himself. The right back’s challenge on Eden Hazard had al- lowed the Chelsea winger to cancel out Jack Wilshere’s opener in the 67th minute.

Marcos Alonso fired Chelsea in front in the 84th with his sixth goal of the season, but wasn’t as meticulous back on defensive duties in the second minute of stoppage time. A headed clearance went straight to Bellerin, who leveled with a half-volley.

Chelsea was still pursuing the winner in the third minute of stoppage time when defender Davide Zappacosta struck the crossbar.

Had striker Alvaro Morata not missed so many chances this could have been a third consecutiv­e win for Chelsea. Chelsea is becoming reliant on Alonso for goals, with the left-sided defender the team’s second-highest scorer behind Morata.

On the night when Diego Costa scored on his return to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea, the ferocious forward seems just what the champions have required at times.

Instead all Chelsea and Arsenal can realistica­lly now achieve through the league is Champions League qualificat­ion. Even that could be beyond Arsene Wenger’s side, with fourth place five points away.

Fortune wasn’t on Arsenal’s side against Chelsea.

Alexis Sanchez managed to hit both posts in the 16th — with the ball pinging from one side of the goal to the other without crossing the line. Then Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois blocked Alexandre Lacazette’s low shot on the turn.

After Hazard and Alonso were denied by Petr Cech at the start of the second half, Courtois used his sprawling body to again thwart Lacazette.

Wilshere, who had been booked in the first half for a challenge on former Arsenal teammate Cesc Fabregas, was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for diving just before scoring.

Wilshere stayed on the pitch and lit up the game by combining with Mesut Ozil before scoring an eye-catching goal, slamming a fierce shot off the left hand post and into the net. In an Arsenal career punctuated by injuries and a season on loan at Bournemout­h, it was Wilshere’s first league goal since May 2015. /

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines