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Premier League | Gameweek 9

Oct 21, 2023 at 5.30pm UK

Stamford Bridge

Chelsea
2 - 2
Arsenal

Palmer (15' pen.), Mudryk (48')
Palmer (8'), Silva (44'), Cucurella (71')

FT(HT: 1-0)

Rice (77'), Trossard (84')
Arteta (9'), Zinchenko (11'), Nketiah (89'), White (90+1')

Mikel Arteta blasts penalty decision in Chelsea stalemate

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 21 October 2023

Mikel Arteta hits out at the decision to award Chelsea a penalty for William Saliba's handball in Arsenal's 2-2 draw with the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes that defender William Saliba was incredibly hard done by with his penalty concession in the Gunners' 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Saturday evening.

Arsenal maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier League season in extraordinary circumstances, coming back from two goals down to force a share of the spoils with another second-half turnaround.

The visitors were run ragged for the majority of the game, though, and Chelsea deservedly took the lead in the 15th minute, as Cole Palmer sent David Raya the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Mauricio Pochettino's side were awarded their spot kick for a handball against Saliba, who jumped for an aerial challenge with Mykhaylo Mudryk and blocked the Ukrainian's header with his outstretched arm.

There was an argument to be had that Saliba's arm sticking out was simply a natural movement, but a penalty was given as per the rules, leading to another intense debate surrounding the modern interpretations of handball.

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard celebrates scoring their second goal on October 21, 2023 © Reuters

When asked about the incident in his post-game press conference, Arteta - who had been booked for his protestations - was loath to comment too much, but he claimed that it was "mechanically impossible" for Saliba not to move his arm in that direction while jumping.

"I already mentioned it to the referee, and I got booked for that, so I prefer to make no comment. I wasn't happy with the yellow there," arsenal.com quotes the Spaniard as saying.

"Well, the law is clear as well in where the ball has to be in relation to the action and it's very close. It's impossible to jump without lifting your hands, it's just mechanically impossible."

Either way, Chelsea were full value for their half-time lead and doubled their advantage three minutes into the second half through Mudryk, whose cross from the left deceived Raya and nestled into the side of the net.

However, Raya's fellow shot-stopper Robert Sanchez also gifted Arsenal a way back in the 76th minute, as Declan Rice cut out the Spaniard's lackadaisical pass and did not think twice about unleashing a first-time strike into an exposed goal.

Only nine minutes after Rice's strike against his former club, the Gunners remarkably drew themselves level in front of the visiting contingent, as Leandro Trossard made a brilliant run to the back post to meet Bukayo Saka's cross and poke home from close range.

Chelsea's Mykhaylo Mudryk scores their second goal past on October 21, 2023 © Reuters

While Arteta rightly applauded Chelsea for their well-executed game plan in the first half, the 41-year-old hailed his side's "phenomenal" reaction to a disastrous start, adding: "I think where it went wrong was at the start of the game.

"I think we didn't play with enough purpose with the ball and clarity, we were just moving the ball without really having the intention to threaten them, and that's a really dangerous thing to do against teams like Chelsea.

"We didn't win even duels and in tight areas when we had them, they escaped from that, they attacked open spaces and they are really dangerous things to do, so credit to them because they are a top side full of top players and you have to acknowledge that.

"When we don't have those two things, then we've got an average team, we changed that and we started to lift the level after 20 or 25 minutes and especially in the second half, that's a different game. We became a much better team, even though we conceded the second goal and it was disappointing, the way the team reacted was phenomenal.

"What I really liked as well was going into the dressing room and the dressing room being quiet after drawing 2-2 against Chelsea and being 2-0 down, because I know that they want more, so those are the positives."

Arsenal's hard-earned point keeps the Gunners second in the table - behind Manchester City on goal difference - and a trip to Sevilla in Champions League Group B is next up for the Gunners on Tuesday night.