SAVED BY THE BELL
Hazard’s regrets as Gunners fight back
EDEN HAZARD blamed Chelsea’s misfiring attack as Hector Bellerin’s last-gasp screamer snatched a point for Arsenal.
The Spanish full-back volleyed home in the third minute of injury time to extend the Gunners’ unbeaten league run to seven games.
But moments after Bellerin had scored, Alvaro Morata missed a one-on-one chance
IF the other two games are as good as this then we are in for a classic trilogy.
It was an astonishing, breathtakingly brilliant London derby which swung first one way and then the next but ultimately helped neither.
What it did do, however, was serve up a fabulous pulsating 94 minutes as Chelsea came from behind to go in front and then see victory snatched from their grasp by Hector Bellerin’s injury-time thunderbolt. In keeping with such a great game, Chelsea still nearly stole it as Alvaro Morata went clean through, was denied by Petr Cech and then Davide Zappacosta smashed the rebound against the crossbar.
Finally we were able to catch our breath and get ready for the League Cup semi-final which is played out over the next two Wednesdays and this has set up that tie as a thriller.
Chelsea’s point means they are stuck in third, Arsenal dropping two points means their top-four chance is fading and boss Arsene Wenger will be fuming about another big penalty decision, Anthony Taylor giving a penalty for Bellerin’s challenge on Eden Hazard.
It was end-to-end stuff, Arsenal’s inexperienced defence – Calum Chambers and Rob Holding either side of Shkodran Mustafi – looked nervous and Chelsea will rue their missed chances.
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte threw his arms up in the air time and again as Morata missed a hat-trick of opportunities. At the other end, Blues’ keeper Thibaut Courtois was sensational as he made at least three match-saving saves.
Arsenal bombed forward, Ainsley Maitland-Niles looking electric down the left, and Alexis Sanchez thought he had scored after 17 minutes. Sanchez poked a shot towards goal from inside a crowded penalty box and somehow Courtois got an outstretched hand to the ball, pushed it onto his right post, the ball dribbled along the line, hit the other post and into the grateful keeper’s arms.
If the teams were supposed to be knackered after the festive programme they did not show it. There was no let-up.
Cesc Fabregas put in Tiemoue Bakayoko who was denied by a terrific tip-over by
Cech. It was a fabulous first half and an even better second.
Fabregas put Hazard through after 49 minutes and Cech made a terrific save with his legs, Bakayoko put over a cross and then Cech pushed Morata’s header wide of the post.
Courtois was equally brilliant at the other end, denying Alexandre Lacazette and then stopping Mesut Ozil.
Arsenal got the breakthrough after 63 minutes when Ozil’s pass deflected off Morata and fell into Wilshere’s path and the Arsenal midfielder smashed an unstoppable shot in off the inside of the post.
The stadium erupted, Wilshere celebrated wildly as this looked like being the crowning moment on one of football’s great comebacks.
From being farmed out on loan and written off as a crock, he looks back to his best.
But you always felt Chelsea would come back and score. Arsenal’s defence simply does not look solid enough to keep clean sheets.
Chelsea got what looked a soft penalty after 67 minutes when Bellerin just clipped Hazard’s boot and Taylor pointed to the spot.
Hazard sent Cech the wrong way and it was all-square.
It was to get even better for Chelsea after 84 minutes who looked increasingly dangerous on the counter-attack.
Zappacosta sent in a low driven cross, Marcos Alonso got in front of Mustafi to steer home. The away end celebrated wildly but Bellerin’s blockbuster denied them victory – and a draw was just about a fair result.