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Mikel Arteta praised a \u201cphenomenal\u201d response from Arsenal after they fought back from two goals down in the final 13 minutes to earn a 2-2 draw at Chelsea and move level on points at the top of the Premier League.<\/p>\n
Chelsea looked to be sending Arsenal to a first league defeat of the season when Mykhailo Mudryk\u2019s cross-shot put them into a 2-0 lead minutes after half-time, the Ukrainian\u2019s effort drifting over goalkeeper David Raya who was unable to recover from a poor starting position as the ball dropped into the goal.<\/p>\n
That added to the lead given to them by a first-half penalty from Cole Palmer, increasingly influential in Pochettino\u2019s revitalised attack following his move from Manchester City, who slotted home after William Saliba was adjudged to have handled from Mudryk\u2019s header.<\/p>\n
It was a commanding and deserved advantage for the hosts, who were seeking a third straight league win, but as so often during Chelsea\u2019s turbulent last 18 months it was an individual error that turned the game and cost them points.<\/p>\n
Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez rolled the ball straight to the feet of Declan Rice who cut the arrears from 30 yards, before Leandro Trossard got a lunging right leg to Bukayo Saka\u2019s cross six minutes from time to salvage an unlikely draw.<\/p>\n
And afterwards Arteta praised his team\u2019s powers of recovery as they extended their unbeaten start to the league season to nine matches to go level at the top with Manchester City.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what went wrong was the start of the game,\u201d said the manager. \u201cWe didn\u2019t play with enough purpose and clarity. We were just moving the ball without the intention to threaten them. That\u2019s a really dangerous thing to do against teams like Chelsea.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we didn\u2019t win enough duels, and in tight areas when we had them, they escaped from that and they attacked open spaces, and they are really dangerous things to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we changed that and we changed the level after 20, 25 minutes, especially in the second half then it\u2019s a different game. We became a much better team, even though we conceded the second goal and it\u2019s a disappointment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way the team reacted to the second goal is phenomenal from the players on the pitch and the players on the bench thinking \u2018how the hell am I going to change this game?\u2019 I loved that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really liked as well going into the dressing room and it\u2019s really quiet, after drawing 2-2 with Chelsea and coming back from 2-0 down, because I know that they wanted more. That\u2019s the positive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino reflected on perhaps Chelsea\u2019s best performance since he took over in the summer, and refused to lay the blame at the feet of Sanchez for allowing Arsenal back into the match.<\/p>\n
\u201cToo many games that we\u2019re watching every week, always mistakes,\u201d he said. \u201cFootball is about mistakes. If you want to score, you want the opponent to make a mistake. Ninety per cent of goals are because the opponent made a mistake. Football is about mistakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only thing we can criticise a little bit is to read better the situation, the tempo and the timing. After 77 minutes, we\u2019re trying to take some risks. OK, we can because it\u2019s our philosophy. But maybe (we need) better decisions. So we can criticise a bit, but also this is football.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not to blame someone. It\u2019s only that in this type of situation you need to read better, but that will arrive with time. Teams need to manage and drive games. You need to read the game, when to be calm, when to play, when to take risks.\u201d<\/p>\n